


Grayscale

by An_Uninspired_Heap



Series: Pokémon: Grayscale Saga [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions, Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Battle, F/M, Gen, PokeStar Studios, Potential Romance, Thriller, pwt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2020-10-12 06:24:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 64,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20559698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/An_Uninspired_Heap/pseuds/An_Uninspired_Heap
Summary: It's been 2 years since Team Plasma's raid on the Unova League, and the region is steadily recovering. Rosa doesn't see it that way with her beloved brother still missing, though. On her quest to find him, she is joined by Nate, a mysterious foreigner, and Hugh, a trainer on a warpath. The trio's journey unravels a most sinister plot by Neo Team Plasma.





	1. Crossroads

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Wellp, with enough demand (although it may not be visible due to it flowing into my Discord DMs), here we are.
> 
> To start with, I recommend checking out the oneshot that preceded this fic in publication. It's called Unova Unchained, and it contains some pretty vital background stuff for this fic, including lore for legendaries, some stuff about how this version of BW went, and other awesomeness encapsulated by dramatic scenes.
> 
> Please note,  
This is a novelisation protected under fair use. I do not own Pokémon or any related intellectual property published in any of their media products. All rights go to Nintendo, Gamefreak and the Pokémon Company. Please support the official release.
> 
> With all that said, I hope you enjoy this story :)

**A/N: Wellp, with enough demand (although it may not be visible due to it flowing into my Discord DMs), here we are.**

**To start with, I recommend checking out the oneshot that preceded this fic in publication. It's called Unova Unchained, and it contains some pretty vital background stuff for this fic, including lore for legendaries, some stuff about how this version of BW went, and other awesomeness encapsulated by dramatic scenes.**

**Please note,  
** **This is a novelisation protected under fair use. I do not own Pokémon or any related intellectual property published in any of their media products. All rights go to Nintendo, Gamefreak and the Pokémon Company. Please support the official release.**

**With all that said, I hope you enjoy this story :)**

* * *

_ “Wow, Hilbert, you sure made a mess!” chirped the tiny brunette as she entered her brother's room. _

_ The place looked like it had been hit by a tornado. Amidst the broken furniture, cracked walls and scattered books, three older teens stood with sheepish looks on their faces. The tallest one — the brother in question — simply stuck his tongue out in embarrassment. _

_ “Sorry, Rosa. I guess we got a little carried away…” _

_ “A little, Hilbert?” the boy next to him, who wore spectacles and a stoic expression, asked. “This is going to be a complete bother to clean! We had best get on our knees and apologise to Mrs. Grant.” _

_ “Maybe you and Bianca should go, Cheren,” Hilbert smirked. “I did wipe the floor with you two just now. I'm calling that chit in.” _

_ “We agreed on no such chit!” Cheren shot back. “Besides, this is your room!” _

_ “Which you wrecked.” _

_ “While battling you!” _

_ “Oh yeah—?” _

_ Rosa watched the argument devolve further and further as Bianca — the bubbly blonde girl who had kept mum through the entire ordeal — awkwardly slid over to her side. _

_ “I'm super sorry about the mess… pretty please let Mrs. Grant know?” she asked pleadingly. “I'll uh… try to fix this other mess.” _

_ She referred to the two boys, whose squabble had become silly name-calling. Rosa nodded “Good luck!” before rushing downstairs. The entire ordeal to her had been hilarious, while simultaneously indicative of her own journey in the future. The fun to be had training such beasts as pokémon got her feeling giddy. _

_ Mrs. Grant, the mistress of the house, had been quite understanding of the excitement that clutched young sixteen-year-olds when they received their first ever pokémon. Professor Juniper had sensed the potential these three held, and had facilitated this present on Hilbert's sixteenth birthday by coordinating with all their mothers. She had foreseen something like this happening. _

_ Once Cheren and Bianca had apologised vehemently and left to say their goodbyes to their families, Hilbert met his mother and Rosa by the doorstep. _

_ “Thanks for covering the cleanup, Mom,” Hilbert laughed. “Especially for not making me help…” _

_ “Since today _ ** _is_ ** _ your big day, I'm willing to let it slide, champ,” Mrs. Grant said with a smile. “Now you do your best out there! And no matter what happens, remember that I'll always be here to support you!” _

_ “Haha, of course.” _

_ “Don't forget to eat your meals on time.” _

_ “Uh-huh.” _

_ “Also, you are to call me every time you enter a new town. Tell me all about your journey then!” _

_ “Of course.” _

_ “And your underwear. Wash it regularly, or you'll get nasty rashes there!” _

_ “Du~uly noted.” _

_ “Oh, and one more—” Mrs. Grant stopped and squinted. “You're being awfully nice about my nagging…” _

_ Hilbert shrugged. “If I did freak out — big if — would that get you to stop?” _

_ Mrs. Grant had no idea what to say. He had her there, as was evident by his trademark smirk. _

_ “Didn't think so. Besides, Rosa's a big girl — she probably knows about men's underwear by now.” _

_ “Hilbert!” Mrs. Grant frowned. _

_ “Kidding. That was a joke—” _

_ Rosa had been dead silent through the entire exchange, something her elder brother had picked up on. She withdrew at the mention of her name, not so much as flinching at the context. A downcast expression formed on her face. _

_ “Something up, kid?” Hilbert asked. “You seem a li'l down.” _

_ Mrs. Grant watched carefully as Rosa's eyes were welling up now. “Are… are you leaving forever?” _

_ “Forever? Nah!” he laughed. “You can't get rid of me that easily!” _

_ “But I won't see you for a long time, right…? And… and there's no one to protect you out there! What if— What if—” _

_ Hilbert knelt to the eleven-year-old's eye level and placed a hand on her shoulder before enlarging a pokéball in his palm. The sphere released a burst of red light, forming from the silhouette to the form, a tiny but fierce looking otter with blue fur and a shell hung on its chest. _

_ It let out a battlecry before realising there was no opponent. _

_ “See this little guy? His name's Waver,” Hilbert explained. “He and I are gonna conquer the Pokémon League together! We've already mopped the floor with our first two opponents!” _

_ “B-But…” _

_ “No buts. Waver and I are going all the way to the top. We might stumble here and there, but we won't ever stop. _

_ “Now, if you're really not convinced…” _

_ “If I'm really not convinced?” _

_ “Follow along!” Hilbert smiled warmly. “Become a trainer and meet me on your own journey! We'll have ourselves a battle then; man to child.” _

_ “H-Huh?” Rosa puffed her cheeks indignantly.“I'm not a child! I'm eleven years old!” _

_ Hilbert broke into a chortle. “There's the Rosa I know.” _

_ Mrs. Grant smiled, her chest swelling with pride. There was the Hilbert she knew. A splitting image of his father. _

_ “You need to keep that energy, Rosa. Use it to get strong, so you can fight by my side when the time comes.” _

_ Rosa's tears of concern had all but dissipated, now replaced with a newly kindled flame of passion. Her frown turned upside down. “Got it! I'll become a strong trainer too!” _

_ Hilbert pulled an unsuspecting Rosa into a warm embrace. “Take care, kid.” _

_ “Y-You too,” she said, returning the gesture before breaking off. “Go rock the league!” _

_ “Just watch me,” Hilbert's eyes gleamed, almost shining. _

* * *

“… Hello?” a voice interrupted Rosa's trip down memory lane. “You still there, lassie?”

“Huh…?” the brunette caught herself drifting three years into the past. “R-Right! Of course, Mrs. Lenora! I'm ready!”

While the Nacrene Gym had been retired, the stadium behind the Museum was still in perfect condition. That was where the two trainers had decided to square off.

On the right side, a curvaceous woman of middling age and dark complexion stood tall and proud. Her turquoise hair stood up in a wild afro, and her figure was adorned in a white shirt and blue trousers.

In direct opposition, a young brunette with her hair in pigtails coming off evenly tied buns held a calculating, determined expression. She was dressed for travel through the seasons in her blue and white shirt alongside black tights under a skirt. 

“It's strange that you issued this challenge out of the blue, only to zone out,” Lenora remarked. “Although, I'm sure there's a purpose. We can save that for afterwards, I guess.”

“No need. I'll be straight with you, I just want some information,” Rosa smirked.

“And you didn't think to just ask?”

“It's not the type of thing you'd tell any old trainer,” she said. “Besides, I've been on the road for way too long! I'm itching for a fight!”

“… Very well.”

Lenora had been sceptical of this girl at first when she had barged into the museum and demanded a battle, but if it was a fight she really wanted…

“Then let me introduce Watchog!”

A fluid motion led the ex-gym leader to hurl a pokéball into the air and unleash the beast within. What emerged leered Rosa down with its yellow-striped eyes. A pattern of golden striations covered its brown fur, casting an almost hypnotic air.

“Cool pokémon,” Rosa commented. “But not enough! Percival, come on out!”

The brunette unleashed her own pokémon — an emerald serpent of a regal stature burst forth from the light, landing with a thud whilst immediately primed. Its crimson gaze lingered menacingly on its meerkat-like opponent.

“Tough talk, girl. Let's see what you can do!” Lenora was pumped just feeling the raw power emanating from the Grass-type before her. “Watchog, use—”

“Percival, Dragon Pulse!”

The Lookout Pokémon was blasted square in the chest by a stream of draconic power that sent it flying, much to Lenora's shock. Rosa simply smirked, rather proud of herself.

“Keep up the pressure! Iron Tail!”

“Counter with Thunder Punch!” Lenora ordered frantically.

Watchog's recovery was swift as it landed on its feet. Percival moved in with its sharpened tail brandished like a blade. Sparks flew as fist met tail in a series of brutal clashes. Their combat slowly moved beyond sight.

“Watchog, catch the tail!” Lenora commanded, and her pokémon obliged with its electrified paws wedging the metallic tail. “Now use Flash!”

The patterns across its entire body burst into an intense luminosity, blinding both the serperior and its trainer. Rosa's eyes burnt. “Gah—”

“Ice Punch!”

“Percival—!”

It was too late, for Watchog threw the tail aside and struck at Percival's throat with a frosty fist. The serpent gagged and shivered in pain as the ice began burning into its skin. Rosa's teeth ground together; she cursed under her breath for having fallen to this kind of strategy. Now she saw nothing but spots.

“Okay, let's wrap this up with Hyper Fang!”

Rosa felt the decisive blow coming and chanced the entire battle on trust. “Don't let 'em! Snake the attack!”

Percival maneuvered with finesse around the incoming fang, perceiving motions through shifts in air pressure. Its serpentine body allowing it to deftly avoid the crippling chomp headed for its gut. Both Rosa and Percival now smirked as the light cleared, and they saw Watchog's exposed back.

Horror overcame Lenora. “Oh no—”

“Percival, seal it with Giga Impact!”

A violent flare of purple energy ended the battle with an earth-shattering explosion. Percival drove its entire body into Watchog, burying it four feet into the ground within its own cozy crater. Once the smoke cleared, the serpent stood tall and victorious.

“Alright! We won!” Rosa rejoiced with a smirk. Lenora sighed, congratulating her Watchog for a job well done while she retrieved it into its pokéball. Serperior shared a warm embrace with its trainer.

“Phew, retired or not, I got handled,” Lenora chuckled. “You got the stuff, girl. If I still ran the gym, I'd hand you a badge this instant!”

“Thanks,” she said, her expression unmoving. “But I need something else.”

The museum director sensed the dire nature of her expression and instantly hardened her own. “Alright then, I'll bite. What did you want to know?”

“It's about Hilbert Grant… and what happened two years back.”

The air went cold.

* * *

A cool spring breeze blew across Aspertia City, home to aspiring trainers. With the establishment of the Trainer School alongside its most recent upgrade to the status of League Certified Stronghold to the Basic Badge, Aspertia had attracted quite a number of settlers aiming to provide a premium education for their children. The town hadn't grown in size, but its population saw a steady upward increment, and what was once a quiet village now resembled a city much more.

Making her way down the southern street with the morning groceries in hand, Lucille Gray tucked a strand of her coffee brown hair behind her ear. She had just approached the turn into the house when her Xtransceiver went off. The contact making the call caused her eyes to light up.

“Oh, hi! Aurea, it's been far too long!” she said ecstatically. “What can I do for you?”

_ “Lucille, hello! How's the move to Unova been treating you?” _the professor asked, delighted.

“Haven't had a hitch since I got here,” Lucille smiled. “So, you go by ‘Professor Juniper’ now? How does the old man feel about your theft of the name?”

Juniper snickered in reminiscence. _ “He just gave into the times. Goes by ‘Cedric’ now. Just what Mom called him way back.” _

The two laughed off the old times before Lucille cut to the heart of things. “Right, so what is it you called about?”

_ “What, can't a friend call to check in on her friend?” _

“Of course they can,” Lucille said with a sly grin. “But we both know that isn't your style; we haven't talked since I moved. So spill.”

Juniper could only roll her eyes on the video feed. _ “Alright, you got me. It's about Nate. How do you feel about me nominating him for the Pokédex Expansion Project?” _

“Wow, a Pokédex? For my child? Why, that's amazing! A journey across Unova would be a wonderful experience for him.”

_ “As calculated!” _ Juniper giggled. _ “I knew I could count on you!” _

“Wha…?”

_ “My Assistant should be arriving later today. She's got the Pokédex along with a starter Pokémon. Standard issue stuff.” _

“Wow, you never change,” Lucille sighed. “Once you've decided on something, you just start going.”

_ “Hey, it was calculated.” _

“You may be a world class researcher now, Aurea, but we both know the scientific debate here gets you dunked,” Lucille laughed. “But don't worry, I've got your back.”

_ “You don't know how much that means to me,” _ Juniper sweatdropped. _ “Anyway, my assistant's called Bianca. Blonde hair, red rimmed spectacles, big green hat. She really stands out in a crowd.” _

“Bianca? Got it; I'll talk it over with Nathan,” Lucille nodded with a smile. “It was nice speaking to you again, Aurea. We should catch up in person sometime.”

_ “Likewise, and I agree! I'll see what the schedules hold for me.” _

“Rain check? Got it. Take care!”

_ “Thanks once more, Lucy. Goodbye!” _

On that happy note, Lucille swung her door wide open, fully excited about what she was about to share with her son.

“Na~te! I'm ho~me!”

* * *

_ “So, how's the move been?” _ a feminine voice spoke through the XTransceiver.

“I've gotten by… the adults are nice, at least. Helped with Mom's recovery.”

_ “… Yours too, right?” _

The boy sighed. “I suppose. Dad's gone, though… not dead, just… _ gone _. I haven't even started looking…”

_ “Nate…” _

Nathan Gray lay flat on his bed, eyeing the house's ceiling. This particular XTransceiver call lacked any sort of video feed, letting the brown-headed boy communicate freely with just the wireless earpiece in his ear.

“Depressing talk. Let's shift gears — you ever getting that camera of yours fixed? It's been kaput an entire year.”

_ “Hey, I've been busy, okay?” _ the voice on the other side sounded like a pout. _ “This search has turned up absolutely nothing! Even Ingo and Emmet don't know about what happened…” _

“Tch… and you want me to _ join _ this goose chase of yours?”

The girl hesitated before sighing. _ “An extra set of hands would be nice…” _

“Hah, and to think you went and ran a gauntlet through the Battle Subway for him… this guy's lucky to have you.”

_ “Hey! It's not like that, okay? He's just… a good friend. We battled together a few dozen times.” _

“Whatever. I've decided to join you anyway,” he said. “This shithole's starting to bore me; I'm hitching a boat to Castelia tonight.”

_ “But your mother…?” _

“We're nearly on our third year and I haven't gone past freakin' Floccesy. I think it's time to move on,” he said matter-of-factly. “Besides, I'm gonna be fifteen in a matter of months. Those life questions are about to start swinging; I'm fucking off first chance I get.”

_ “Right, forgot we're a whole four years apart.” _

“Hag.”

_ “Brat!” _ the girl shot back, causing Nate to smirk. Just then, the front door swung open, and a distinct _ Nate! I'm home! _ rang through the house. He lowered his tone. “Listen, I'll call back later. Mom's home.”

_ “Give her my regards.” _

“If I manage to remember,” he shrugged. “Take care, you omanyte.”

Before she could retort, he hung up and lazily sauntered out of his room.

* * *

“Hi, Mom.”

“Top of the morning to you too, sleepyhead!” Lucille chirped. “I've got wonderful news!”

Nate's hair revealed itself to be an even bigger mess than it usually was. Having just got out of bed, the fourteen-year-old was all but cheery with his messy brown hair and baggy hazel eyes.

“Well? What's up?”

“Freshen up first, silly. Then there's a few questions I need to ask before we go!”

“Eh…? Go where?” Nate blinked before recognising his mother as too excited to have heard his query. “Whatever. I'll be back in a bit.”

After brushing his teeth, getting through a quick shower, and straightening his spiky mess of a head, Nate made his way down the stairs in his casual attire — a blue zipper shirt along with gray shorts over what appeared to be medium sleeved tights alternating a sleek design of black and blue.

Lucille was not fazed by his sudden change into outdoor clothes. “Nice! Eight minutes and fifty two seconds. You're setting records, kid!”

“And you're clearly excited enough to keep track,” he sighed. “I got a little announcement of my own, but let's hear this news first.”

“Uh-uh. Questions first.

“Question one: How tired of this small town are you?”

Nate was taken completely aback. “Wha— Uh… I mean—”

“Wonderful!” Lucille was practically giddy. “There's no other questions!”

Before the boy could so much as lift a finger to respond, he found himself smothered in her embrace.

“Mah— Mom…?”

“I'm so sorry… after everything at Veilstone, everything with Hart, I…”

Nate had little to no clue where this was coming from, but went along with it by returning her embrace. “Is… everything okay?”

“Besides me being sorry for holding you and Ray back for so long? Yes…”

“What do you mean?”

She pulled away, almost teary eyed. “Do you know Professor Aurea Juniper? She's a famous Pokémon researcher. Actually, she's an old friend of mine, and she called me today for the first time in ages!

“Aurea's nominated you for the Pokédex Expansion! It's her study of the Unovan Pokémon in recent years of shifting migration.”

A torrent of emotions ran through Nate. Not only had his own announcement been rendered moot, but he was being given the perfect excuse to venture. To make connections through battle. To appease his partner and his contact.

To search for the truth of six years past.

“Mom, I… I don't know what to say—”

“Say yes,” Lucille pleaded. “Say yes for your poor mother, who's held you back all these years from the journey you deserve… please.”

“Mom… I can't just _ leave _ you here, can I…?” Nate's shaky voice betrayed this: the last part of the question was almost pleading. “I mean, without Dad…”

Lucille sighed. “Don't worry about me, Nate. I did live alone before I had you and Hart… I can manage.”

“But—”

“No buts, Nate. Please, say yes. Accept this chance…”

There was nothing further to be said. Nate simply nodded before pulling his mother back into his arms. “Yes… A thousand times yes!”

* * *

“Wait,” Lucille stroked her chin. “Didn't you have something you wanted to tell me?”

Nate nearly fell over before quickly fixing his dire expression. There was no need for that approach anymore.

“N-No— nothing at all,” he chuckled nervously, causing his mother to shrug.

“I'll get your things ready. Be sure to charge your XTransceiver! Heaven knows you're the type to get lost in town.”

“Thanks for the faith, Mom,” he drawled. “Re~ally appreciated…”

“Make it quick!” she called to her son, who walked upstairs. “The assistant'll be here soon!”

“Got it!”

Lucille could only smile weakly as Nate shut his door. Then, it happened; a burning sensation spread across the woman's entire body, leading into a steady breakdown of coughs and wheezes. The woman retched violently into a cup of her own hands, rushing towards the kitchen to reach for water.

After a violent fit, she managed to compose herself, breathing heavily over the sink. Her tear-filled eyes could only avert themselves then from the crimson splatter coating her hand.

The faucet was turned on.

* * *

Rosa did not waver before the sudden glare cast by the former Gym Leader. This was expected, after all. She didn't trust the League or the Media as far as she could throw them. Everyone in Unova saw the battle between Reshiram and Zekrom, along with the destruction it caused across the region. Then, a central figure to this war had disappeared. No, It was like he had been _ erased _.

She was going to find him.

“What's the matter? Still think I should have just ‘asked’?”

The crowd that had gathered initially to spectate the battle now grew aware of the sudden tension in the air. Mumbles spread through them regarding the sudden mention of a trainer nobody had heard of.

Lenora bit her lip. “No… I think you need to leave.”

“What?” Rosa's eyes flared, and her partner hissed menacingly as it leered upon the unmoving woman. “I won! The deal was information!”

“Well, the deal's off.”

“Don't give me that!” she grabbed the Director by the collar, much to everyone's shock. “I won fair and square, and you know something!”

“… Lassie, drop your hands before I break 'em,” Lenora glowered. “I said drop 'em!”

The elder woman had betrayed none of the strength she displayed, for with a swipe of her backhand, Rosa not only let go, but was knocked onto her backside, her face reeling from the blow.

Percival roared a battlecry before unleashing another spiraling burst of draconic energy, but a violent flash of light revealed a freshly erected barrier. Before Lenora stood a mighty terrier with a towering stature and a fierce gaze. Its fur grew out like a moustache, and its snarl lingered as a proclamation of war on the serpent.

Rosa gritted her teeth. “You double-crossing… Percival, use— Agh!”

The emerald serpent's eyes widened when its trainer suddenly found her arms locked behind her. A couple of clicks revealed two men in blue who had detained the brunette and cuffed her without a second of hesitation.

Before the serperior could pounce in pure rage, Lenora's voice boomed. “Stoutland, use Retaliate!”

Percival felt the wind slammed out of it as Stoutland drove into its spine. With a pained gag, it broke through a nearby tree before collapsing, unconscious.

“Percival— No!” Rosa cried, only to be restrained as she flailed wildly. One of the policemen then twisted her arm back painfully before another drew his stun gun.

Rosa felt a rattling pain at the back of her neck before the world went black.

* * *

Nate made his way out the door, and the bustling city of Aspertia greeted him with the morning rush picking up. People rushed to their workplaces at breakneck speeds, and while seeing the familiar faces was nice, the brunet felt some semblance of relief when the main road was put behind him.

His gaze fell on a pokéball in his grasp. “Buddy, we're finally free. It's time to start our search.”

A peculiar pulse of energy traveled up Nate's arm, giving him momentary goosebumps. He smiled.

“Yeah… we'll find Dad. And then, we'll be a family again.”

“Na~te! Hi ~” came a shrill chirp to intrude upon the delicate moment. Startled, Nate looked up to see a girl with short brown hair and a vibrant spark in surprisingly melancholic eyes. A child not much older than ten.

He slipped the pokéball onto his belt before picking up the tiny girl and whirled her about. “Hi Trish!”

“I got the news! Your Mom called mine!” she said as he gently put her down. “Going on a journey is _ amazing _! You'll get to meet lots of people and pokémon!”

“Will I?” Nate stroked his chin coyly. “I had no idea.”

“Hey!” came another voice, gruff and masculine. “I hear you mocking my sister. Not cool.”

Of course, Nate thought happily. If Trisha was here, _ he _ couldn't be far off.

Running around the corner of the block, a slender boy about Nate's age revealed himself. He wore a red and white sweater alongside navy blue pants. His hair stood up even higher than Nate's, and it held a distinct shade of blue along with a spike that painted the image of a qwilfish primed to strike.

Nate's grin knew no bounds. “Hugh! My boy, what's up?”

Distance between the two closed, and they locked palms with gusto.

“It's good to see you, Nate,” Hugh nodded.

“So you heard the news?”

“We both did,” Trisha exclaimed, ecstatic still. “I'm kinda jealous, to be honest. I wish I could train pokémon like the two of you!”

Nate chuckled. “You will, kiddo. The moment you get… say… this tall,” he said, placing his hand around his chest level, but a head above Trisha. This caused the girl to puff her cheeks.

“Careful, Nate. You might see a growth spurt in a couple of years,” Hugh warned.

“Likely story,” Nate drawled. “Anyway, I'm on my way to collect the dex. You guys wanna join me?”

Trisha looked sad. “No, I've gotta finish my homework. It's due tomorrow.”

“You didn't do your homework?” Hugh sounded outraged, causing his sister to hide behind Nate. “Trisha!”

Trisha stuck her tongue out at her brother, who grew more aggravated, all while Nate tried to think of a way to diffuse this.

“Hey, man, chill out,” he reasoned. “She can just go get on that right now. No need to blow a gasket.”

“Tch… well you're definitely headed home,” he sighed. “Now run along!”

“I wasn't sticking around with you anyway!” Trisha shot back, before looking up at Nate. “Nate, enjoy your journey. And don't forget to call once in a while. Hugh and I will miss you.”

She looked almost ready to cry. Nate had been a friend like no other in the three short years they had known each other. Nate himself lost his cool demeanour when with the little girl, due in part to the tragedy behind those eyes.

He knelt to her eye level and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Of course. I've got two Moms to report to, as usual.”

“You… won't forget about us, right?”

“What? No way — how could I?”

“I was just making sure,” she smiled. “Come back and visit sometimes too. And when you do, tell me everything about your journey.”

“Sure thing, _ Mom _.”

Trisha smiled warmly, not in the slightest bit bothered by Nate's mockery. “Then I'll be off! Come back and let us know when you get your dex!”

With that, the little girl whirled about and made a sprint homewards. Normally, one would need an escort at her age, even in a city as safe as Aspertia, but very few people could boast being able to keep up with Trisha Beaumont when she got going.

Nate sighed as he watched her leave, before addressing Hugh. “I know you're worried about her after… well… you know what.” 

Hugh grimaced.

“But,” Nate added. “Smothering her like that's no good. You need to lose that chip on your shoulder and show her you actually care.”

The blue-haired boy took a moment to take in the advice. It took every ounce of restraint he had left while Trisha left his sightline to curb the burning fury he felt when thinking back.

“Heh…” he laughed grimly. “You always managed to make her smile again.”

Nate looked at him, both a little sad and concerned when he read between those lines. “It's the least I could do. You guys stuck with me when I came here; even when those jerks at school didn't quite welcome me.”

“You've got good instincts… I like that about you. I know you'll have my back no matter what,” Hugh smiled. “Now… let's go get your Pokédex!”

* * *

Rosa groaned groggily as the world came into focus, and the sight of vertical iron bars greeted her. The shock of this claustrophobic environment jolted her awake.

She blinked furiously, feeling chilly restraints on her arms. “H-Huh? Where—”

“Good morning!” a familiar voice greeted her. “For how well you commanded Serperior, I didn't take you for the open-mouthed, drooling type.”

She shook the drool off her face, and the events before her blackout came back to her all at once. The memory triggered a malicious scowl. Before her sat Lenora, director of the Nacrene Museum. All Rosa saw, however, was a rat who had ambushed her beloved Percival.

“You…” the brunette snarled. “Where's Percival? What the hell did you do to him?”

“It's clear you care for your pokémon very much. Though aggressive, I suppose you're not downright evil.”

“I asked you a question!”

“Right, that _ is _ what got you into this mess, Rosa Fletcher,” Lenora smiled. “Or rather… Rosa Grant, as you go by now.”

“You…” she gritted her teeth. “How the hell do you—”

“Calm down,” Lenora commanded coldly. “I know for the same reason you're behind bars right now.

“Retired or not, I was once a trainer with Gym Leader level clearance. Let's say I have friends in the right places.

“Now… you don't need to worry about your pokémon. Serperior has been healed up, and is currently at the pinnacle of its health.”

Rosa's eyes wavered little in the unadulterated rage they exhumed. “And why should I trust a single word you say?”

“Because I could have you sent into solitary for a month on charges of aggravated assault, but yet, here you are in detention,” Lenora replied. “Honestly, it's no surprise you grew up with that brat Hilbert.”

“You knew my brother… of course…” Rosa muttered. 

“Oh, I couldn't forget that smart-mouthed punk if I tried. The boy held enough sass for an entire generation of self-absorbed teenagers, and he was stupidly strong to boot,” she was almost complaining. “Looking back, you're not too different, the two of you. Mannerless twits who barge into places thinking they're owed something.”

Rosa looked away. The Nacrene Gym Leader knew Hilbert from her active days. Of course. He had conquered the Unova League, after all. He was dimensions above this ex-Gym Leader.

He was dimensions above herself.

“Tch… you think I'm as strong as him?”

“No, you're stronger than he was when he challenged me,” Lenora said, causing Rosa to reel. “Hilbert was formidable for a trainer at that stage, but your Serperior, despite you lacking any Gym Badges…

“I had to restrain you this way because Stoutland would have lost a straight fight.”

Rosa's glare did not falter at all. Normally, she was chipper, and would have revelled in the praise and comparison to her brother. Now, however, cuffed to this chair, she had nothing nice to say. This horrible woman had no idea how strong Hilbert was; to Rosa, she had uttered more blasphemy than anything. She could only continue giving Lenora a lethal look.

“You're right — it was inexcusable, but what you were doing was worse.”

Lenora suddenly had her attention.

“Good. Now listen carefully: Hilbert Grant is _ not _ a bear you poke in front of a crowd like that. The Region's stability depends on it.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Rosa growled. “Are you bureaucratic assholes using my _ only brother _ for your games?”

The question was a stab to Lenora's soul. The woman was assertive, but not heartless. A pang of sympathy flashed in her gaze.

“No… Not exactly.”

Rosa's glare grew increasingly malicious. “Whatever it is, don’t _ ever _ say his name again. You don’t deserve to!”

“Of course… Listen, Rosa, it's not my place to tell you this.”

“Don’t give me that!” she spat venomously.

Lenora sighed. “I'll have you released along with your pokémon on the condition that you don't pursue this as… openly.

“Go to Aspertia City.”

Rosa faltered in her anger. Finally, there was some information.

“My successor…” she said. “The current holder of the Basic Badge… He's far more qualified to disclose the full story.”

“And who am I looking for?”

“You'll know when you see him,” Lenora said. “I've got a Museum to run now. I can only wish you the best of luck on your quest.”

“Hey! Wait!”

But the former Gym Leader was already on her way out. “When the paperwork is done, Hawes will facilitate your transport. Don't worry, it's not something as time-consuming as a boat ride.”

Rosa bit her lip, now stuck with these shackles. To the solace of her mind, she had the information she needed. Finally, there would be a chance to find out what exactly happened after the sky-splitting clash of the two legendary dragons.

The conclusion to the battle between truth and ideals.


	2. Sparks of a Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter, yay ~ A lot of stuff happened last time, and I don’t plan on toning the content back in the slightest.
> 
> I will reiterate, though, this fic assumes you've read the preceding oneshot — Unova Unchained — and that you're somewhat familiar with the lore of this verse. I'll even go out on a limb and reveal that it's in the same universe as my other (on hiatus) fic — A Champion's Path — which will probably get a do-over from chapter 2 onwards, since I feel like I was on the wrong energy when writing it.
> 
> Disclaimer from before still applies, and any and all feedback is highly appreciated, as always ^^ Enjoy!  
~ Ace ♤

An inferno razed the cliffs of the Nature Preserve while the native pokémon ran for dear life. Storm clouds gathered from the drafts of heat, leading to a steady downpour that warred on the spreading blaze. It was pandemonium — an apocalyptic scene that swallowed even the considerably powerful pokémon found here in a flash of death.

Black rays of destruction shot across the lake and carved into the cliffside as the monster responsible took its sliding descent down the mountainous terrain. Its body was armoured, covered in scales like dull lacquer, and the madness that flashed in its eyes only sharpened the lethal edge of its scythe-like fangs. The draconic creature had lost itself in a mad rage, letting out a howl of anguish before searing the land with another Hyper Beam.

The devastation carried on as a flame enveloped the otherwise peaceful paradise to the pokémon.

“Fufufu… such fascinating numbers,” cooed a bespectacled observer. “And without a trainer to boot. I didn’t believe such powerful pokémon existed.

“What do you think, Magnezone?”

Mechanical humming came from the floating triplet of sentient magnets. Casually standing atop it while overlooking the devastation, a tall blond man in a sleek lab coat held an expression most amused as he processed the data rapidly flowing across the screen of his tablet.

“Indeed, it appears that Colress Machine #27 has bolstered performance by a considerable 34%…

“Haxorus, while mighty, could not have felled the local gyarados so easily. To overcome a level differential of forty and strike down the beasts with singular, neutral hits… I think we’ve broken ground, friend.”

Haxorus’ cries of anguish became more and more feral as the device this scientist held in his free hand beeped. It radiated a carefully tuned electromagnetic pulse that bulged the dragon’s veins, flexed its muscles, and shocked its scales into bristling razors. Its screams came from the very depths of hell.

The scientist’s eyes lit up, amused and excited. “Come now… 37.4%? Is that all?” he shook his head. “No, no, you are my star subject! You’re better than this!

“Without even the assistance of a trainer, you’ve become the most powerful Haxorus on the planet!

“Now go further.”

Haxorus clutched its head, shedding tears while its moans and cries for help were transformed into primal calls of battle. Pent up energy released yet another blast that eviscerated a section of its home.

“Such power… I’ll make due note of these parameters,” the scientist grinned. “Now, Magnezone… are you ready?”

The mechanical hums were interpreted as affirmation.

“Good, good,” he said, before letting himself off his pokémon at a nearby ridge. “Let’s see just how strong you really are, Haxorus.

“Magnezone, Flash Cannon.”

Magnezone took to the skies as electric blue sparks began dancing across its body. Energy then spiraled into a flashing core before its central eye focused it into a ray of light. Haxorus was stricken in the back critically, and sent hurtling into the cliffside.

Its anguished howl permeated despair, but its draconian instincts of war had awakened. Twisting tendrils of energy shot forth from the smokey impact zone before they converged upon the rampaging dragon. Its strength could be felt when its steps shook the world. A terrible crimson aura enveloped it.

“Dragon Dance, eh?” mused the scientist. “Fascinating… even in your mental state, you can employ a strategy like that.” 

He could only smile. The stage was set; the beast’s final trial would be atop a Hell of its own creation.

“Now, unveil to me… the very pinnacle of your possibility!”

* * *

Nate and Hugh were ecstatic in their running stride, relishing the Aspertian wind whipping against their faces. The day had finally arrived, Nate thought, now having processed his tomorrow.

“You look excited!” Hugh grinned in step with his friend. “That happy to leave us behind?”

“Don’t take offence, bud.”

“I’d never dream of it. In fact…” they made a sharp turn around the Pokémon Center before heading north. “I’m contemplating a trip of my own.”

“For real?” Nate beamed. “Travelling with you would be absolutely wicked!”

House after house passed them by, with friendly exchanges and bewildered looks along the way, but still, there was no sign of this ‘Bianca’ person. Nate cursed under his breath, because ‘blonde hair, red rimmed spectacles, big green hat’ was not very helpful at all. They stopped near the city’s exit to catch their breaths.

“Yeah,” Hugh huffed. “If we ever manage to find this chick…”

“No kidding,” Nate needed to support himself on a nearby post. The two had searched the entire city. “I really… should’ve… asked Mom… to tell me where…”

“You never think these things through… well, there’s only one place left.”

The pair looked fearfully at the countless stairs that greeted them at the foot of the Aspertia Lookout. After all that running, it was time to climb.

“Please carry me up…” Nate pleaded, earning a scoff from Hugh. The two trainers then took their strides in skipping steps.

* * *

Rosa adjusted her wrist with a sour expression on her face; the handcuffs, and especially the stun gun, had left their respective marks. Now, however, she stood outside the Nacrene Penitentiary, stretching the stiffness out of her joints.

“Ma’am,” one of the officers called. “Your Pokémon.”

Her eyes lit up, and she graciously accepted the pokéball before releasing Percival. The Grass Snake looked absolutely ecstatic to be reunited with its trainer.

“Percival!” Rosa cried, smothering it in an embrace. “You’re safe…”

Percival purred comfortingly before Rosa broke away and gave it an earnest, apologetic look.

“I’m sorry… if I were stronger—”

The serpent dismissed this completely. In truth, it was the one feeling inadequate. Percival had let its rage overcome its impulse to protect its trainer, and they had both paid the price. In all honesty, the serperior looked forward to sweet revenge on that dog in the future.

“… You’re right. No use dwelling,” Rosa nodded. “We’ve gotta keep moving forward!”

Just then, a voice called from behind her. “Ms. Grant! Excuse me, over here!”

Rosa turned with a curious yet guarded expression, only to see a sickly looking man. He had the disposition of a dry twig and the energy of a worn autumn tree. At least he held a pleasant expression.

“Ms. Rosa Grant?” he asked, receiving a nod from the brunette. “Excellent! I’m Hawes — Assistant Director at the Nacrene Museum.”

The words ‘Nacrene Museum’ soured her expression, causing Hawes to chuckle nervously.

“I must apologise for my wife’s handling of the situation. She can be rough, but her heart’s in the right place.”

“Wait…  _ wife _ ?” Rosa looked dumbfounded, imagining the two next to each other. “ _ You _ married  _ her _ ?”

Hawes looked used to this, as evident by his smile. “She’s a wonderful lady once you get to know her.”

“R-Right…” Both Rosa and Percival looked equally dumbstruck. The two were polar opposites — Lenora was headstrong, assertive, and confident, while this Hawes person was quiet, shy and reserved. “I guess I’m happy for your marriage.”

“Many thanks,” Hawes smiled, before his expression shifted. “Of course, that’s not exactly why I’m here.”

The assistant director drew a pokéball and released from it a mighty looking, grey-feathered avian. Its talons were sharp as razors, and its face was covered in what appeared to be a red carnival mask. The Flying-type had an expression matching Lenora’s — unyielding and ready to fight.

“Unfezant, huh…?” She had seen a few here and there on her travels. “Might as well.”

She held up her pokédex, courtesy of Professor Juniper, and scanned the avian.

_ “Unfezant, the Proud Pokémon,” _ said the Dex, as the avian’s image split into two — one containing the red face mask, and the other lacking it.  _ “Males swing the plumage on their heads to threaten others, but females are better at flying.” _

Rosa felt uncomfortable just looking at another one of Lenora’s pokémon, and Percival let out a low growl.

“Now, now, I’d rather not command this Unfezant in battle,” Hawes reasoned. “I’m not its owner, and I’m not much for battles. Plus, this Unfezant is what will get you to Aspertia City.”

Rosa mulled it over with a frown. “… Alright then. Percival, return.”

She recalled her serperior into its pokéball, and while it complied, it did so after glaring Unfezant down as a warning.

“Well?” she scoffed at the bird. “I don’t have enough love for this city to stick around.”

“Of course. Best of luck on your travels,” Hawes sighed. “Unfezant will drop you off at Aspertia City; I think you can find the Gym from there.”

She nodded. “Got it.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Hawes added. “Be wary of the Gym Leader there. He’s said to have taken on the Elite Four. Lenora always boasted about how much stronger her successor is.”

“Well  _ Lenora _ lost to me. I’ll just beat this new guy too,” Rosa scowled, before softening her expression for the timid man. “Thanks for the help, though, Mr. Hawes. You’re alright.”

“It was my pleasure,” he nodded as Rosa mounted the bird, still wary of it. It did not seem any more eager than her, but took to the skies anyway.

Having adjusted her visor for the winds, the brunette clicked her tongue as her avian ride jetted off into the horizon.

* * *

Nate and Hugh finally made it up the countless stairs. While fatigued, the adrenal rush that came from what was about to happen pushed Nate into a boost up the final flight. What greeted the pair upon ascension was the lush mountainscape painting an almost surreal scenery beyond the railings. Both of them had come here countless times in the past, be it to play or just hang out after a hard day at school, but the sights every season were ones to behold.

By the rails stood a lone woman who drank the landscape in. She was completely entranced.

_ Wait a sec… _ Nate thought.

“Blonde hair… red spectacles…” Hugh said, only for Nate to complete his sentence.

“Big green hat! It’s her!”

The woman’s ears perked, and she turned to her right promptly to reveal herself carrying a capsule with both hands. Her slender figure donned a thick green jacket over a white blouse and green pants, causing her to pop even when alone. Lips curled into a warm smile, the blonde walked towards the two, eyeing Nate in particular.

“Aha ~ It’s so nice to meet you!” she chirped, adjusting her glasses. “Nate Gray, right?”

“That’d be me,” Nate nodded. “Oh, and this here’s my boy — Hugh.”

“Hrn,” Hugh grunted. “I suppose you’re Bianca. You were awfully hard to find.”

Bianca bopped her head with an apologetic expression. “Of course, that’s probably my B — I should have told you where to meet me, but there’s just so much to see around here! I couldn’t decide ~” her tone grew more excited. “Unova’s really changed these past two years. Pokémon we’ve never even seen before are suddenly popping up everywhere, and that’s not even starting on all the new trainers from beyond the border!”

She was so incredibly energetic that it washed the fatigue out of both the boys. Even Hugh managed to crack a smile. “So… about why we’re here…”

“Hm…? Oh! Of course, I’m super sorry for rambling!” Bianca chuckled, balancing the cylindrical capsule precariously as she rummaged through her bag before drawing a palm-sized gadget coloured blue across its rim. Its chassis was a jet black, polished to a shine. “This is the Pokédex! A Pokémon Encyclopaedia! It records data on any pokémon you scan with it, and you can even use it to view your own pokémon’s personal details! Isn’t that amazing?”

Nate accepted the dex with gratitude. While he did find her bubbly attitude wear on him a little, he wasn’t about to show it. Something compelled him to be friendly towards this woman. Perhaps it was the positive energy she gave off.

“Thanks a tonne, Bianca,” he nodded before facing his friend. “Well Hugh, I think we should… eh?”

Hugh had remained mostly silent after the beginning of the exchange. His eye was purely on the Pokédex, and all the possibilities it entailed.

He could finally get stronger.

The gleam in his eyes grew sharper when he addressed Bianca out of the blue. This even surprised Nate.

“Hey, this Pokédex… it seems valuable,” said Hugh. “How do I get one?”

“Eh…?” Bianca tilted her head. “You… want a Pokédex as well?”

Hugh nodded with a steely determination. “If I get a Pokédex, I’ll be able to train my pokémon better. I’ll be able to get stronger and stronger!”

“Well, that is right, but...” Bianca stroked her chin, suddenly entering a deeply contemplative state. The seconds crawled into an eternity of building suspense, and her voice flatlined in the response given. “You weren’t nominated.”

The words hit Hugh like a punch to the gut. Nate’s expression fell alongside it.

“Wait, so this program’s exclusively for nominations?” Nate asked.

Bianca nodded. “Sadly…”

“Then take Hugh,” he said, shocking them all. “I don’t need a Pokédex for what I’m going out to do… it’d be helpful, but not necessary.”

The determination on Nate’s face was different from Hugh’s. It was colder, more calculating.

“Nate…” Hugh muttered, shocked as his friend held the dex out to him.

“Here, take it.”

“W-Wow…” Bianca muttered. “Guys, please—”

“I don’t need to hear any more,” Nate said. “You’re my closest friend, Hugh. Besides, I know why you need this.”

“Guys—”

“Nate, I can’t. You need it too, so I’ll find my own way.”

“GUYS!”

“WHAT?” they asked in unison, causing Bianca to yelp.

“W-Well… y’see…” she stopped twiddling her thumbs when both boys urged her to cut to the point. Bianca quickly pulled out another Pokédex from her bag. “H-Here! Now you both have one!”

Eyebrows rose simultaneously, but Bianca’s face only flushed further and further red. It wasn’t sadness or anger, it was… shame.

“Y'see, I’m Professor Juniper’s assistant, and… well… she does these super cool bits where she’s super  _ duper _ cool about resolving tense situations she creates…

“A-And well, I was _going_ to give you the second Pokédex with a cool one-liner about just kidding around, but I ended up fumbling on how to deliver it… then things got super duper _mega_ **_hyper_** intense and well—”

Nothing interrupted her except disapproving glares from the two newly appointed Dex Holders.

“Tch… whatever,” Nate sighed, depositing his Pokédex in his bag. “At least we both have Dexes now.”

“No kidding,” Hugh grumbled, clearly unhappy about being put through that entire ordeal for nothing. “I guess that’s our cue to report to our families.”

“H-Huh…?” Bianca snapped out of her shame-induced daze and regained her composure quickly. The smile returned to her lips. “Hold on a second, you guys can’t skip the most exciting part!”

Before either of them could retort, she pressed the button on her cylindrical capsule, releasing the vacuum seal with a distinctive hiss. The smoke cleared to reveal within the capsule, three red-topped spheres that glistened in the late morning Sun.

“Ta-dah! The pokémon that will be your partner is right here!”

“Whoa, a free pokémon?” Nate asked.

“Yup!” Bianca chirped. “Having more is always more fun! Give 'em a chance!”

Bianca had brought this case all the way from Nuvema, after all. Snuffing out the hesitation in the boys' eyes was integral to not letting that go to waste.

“Besides, monitoring these pokémon’s growth gives us tonnes of diagnostic data! They’re implanted with chips that track their growth. Sort of part of the program.”

Hugh didn’t say anything; he simply looked upon the three spheres and the screen displays underneath them. On the capsule, the static dispersed to reveal video footage of what was inside the pokéball. The pokémon within ogled the two trainers rather curiously.

The first was Tepig — the Fire Pig Pokémon. Its eyes shone with enthusiasm, and its springy tail wagged furiously as embers escaped its nostrils. There was anticipation to its expectant gaze.

The second, labeled Snivy — the Grass Snake Pokémon — held a cold expression, as though it was more analysing and deconstructing the two than anything else. Its eyes held a cold air to their piercing tint.

Then there was Oshawott. Its eyes locked with Hugh's for the first time ever, and there was a spark. The Sea Otter Pokémon responded to him on an entirely different wavelength, transcending any kind of rationale into a realm of intuition.

This intuition led Hugh's hand forward to clasp the sphere.

“Huh?” Nate looked surprised, before grinning. “Well, looks like you made your choice, Beaumont.”

“Oooh!” Bianca's eyes lit up. “You choose Oshawott? Wonderful! It really suits you!”

Hugh raised a brow. “What…? How can you tell?”

“Call it a woman’s intuition!” she chuckled before looking to Nate. “Well, what about you?”

What  _ about _ him, Nate thought. He contemplated whether any of these three would help his case — what he required was coordination and coverage that would pad out his partner’s weaknesses. A calculating gaze set upon the remaining pokéballs. Both pokémon looked to make formidable partners, but while the snivy continued its analytical glare, it was Tepig who matched his determined gaze.

A fire sparked in its eyes as the two locked vision with one another.

The Fire Pig Pokémon’s hologram disengaged as Nate’s hand grasped the pokéball. Bianca smiled, while Hugh all but smirked.

“Good pick, Nate,” he said. Nate could very well feel what was coming next. “Now… let’s see if you’ve got the stuff!”

“You’re on ~” the brunet replied.

Bianca stepped back as the two rammed the locking mechanisms of their pokéballs against one another, using the force for a powerful backward leap. The distance they created became their stage, and the players came upon it with a dazzling light show.

The blonde smiled knowingly at this situation; it reminded her of days long past, when Cheren and Hilbert would squabble, only to settle in a position mirroring this one.

“Let’s show ‘em what we’ve got, Oshawott!” Hugh roared.

Nate straightened his visor with a smirk. “Sabbath, time to play!”

The tepig, Sabbath, highly approved of its new name, snorting flames and raring to go. Across from it, Oshawott grinned devilishly as it brandished its scalchop, ready to unleash its swordsmanship.

“I’ll referee, then!” Bianca said. “Your pokémon already trust you so very much — this is too amazing to miss!”

Just as the two lunged at each other, however, there came a distinct echo of a human voice, booming overhead to snap all the combatants out of their battle fever. The boys’ eyes widened when they saw an unfezant fly by, and a person drop right off from ten feet high.

“LOOK OUT BELOW!” the girl hollered as she landed gracefully in the middle of their battle.

* * *

Aspertia Lookout suddenly found itself trodden upon by a large crowd of four and two newly registered Starter Pokémon. The complete shift in dynamic, however, was all but lost on the new arrival, who stretched herself out after what appeared to be quite a long flight. The winds had her usually smooth hair frizzled a smidge and the folds in her clothing became more apparent, but otherwise, she was completely oblivious to what she had just disrupted.

She turned skywards and shooed the Unfezant away with a slightly grudging expression.

“… The fuck?” Nate croaked, being the first of the three to snap out of the shocked state the new arrival had put them in. “Who are you?”

“Hm?” The brunette turned before finally acknowledging their presence. “Oh, hi there! I’m not from around here — actually came by to challenge the Aspertia Gym. Any of you guys know where that’d be?”

Hugh was next to snap out of his stupor. “You… what the hell do you think you’re doing, just barging into our battle?”

“Huh?” she recoiled. “What? I didn’t know there was a battle!”

The glaring tepig and oshawott quickly put that argument in its place, however, causing the girl to fluster.

“O-Oh… well, sorry… I didn’t mean to ruin things here…”

Hugh scoffed, and Nate simply sighed. “Whatever, moment’s gone. No use dwelling.”

“Hey…” Bianca, the final one to process everything, stepped forward. “Do I… know you?”

“Eh?” the brunette turned, before her expression changed to one of shock. “B-Bianca?”

Bianca clearly did not return the recognition, but the stranger dashed over to her, ignoring the two boys. “Bianca! It’s me! Don’t you recognise me?”

“Wait…” Bianca adjusted her glasses after the brunette finished shaking her. “R-Rosa…? Hil’s Kid Sister?”

“Huh, guess she ain’t a complete stranger,” Nate muttered, while Hugh watched in silence. They both recalled their downcast pokémon.

“You do remember me!” Rosa beamed. “It’s been three years!”

“Y-Yeah, I suppose it has—”

“Tell me,” Rosa grabbed her shoulders, almost frantically. “You traveled with him! You’ve gotta know where my brother is!”

At this, Bianca’s expression darkened. It was as though all the energy she had shown earlier was sucked right out of her body. Nate noted especially how she had begun fidgeting with her hair, her usual habit of looking people dead in the eye giving way to an almost subdued break from eye contact.

“I… I’m sorry, Rosa. I don’t know…”

Rosa’s face fell as fast as it had lit up. Another dead end.

Nate, in the meanwhile, examined Bianca’s every tick, her every motion, and something didn’t add up. There was a stutter in her voice that sounded foreign, almost forced in an attempt to conceal the truth. His glare did not go unnoticed by Hugh, and neither did his decision to let this slide.

“Something’s on your mind,” he told Nate. “I know that look.”

“Yeah…” Nate replied. “Bianca’s lying.”

* * *

“You’ve grown so big, Rosa… I could hardly recognise you!” Bianca squealed, causing the brunette to fluster.

“W-Well, three years will do that to you.”

“I guess so… Wow, I feel kinda old now.”

Nate and Hugh watched as the two caught up. Clearly, they were good friends; the two boys were practically tuned out. Hugh was mildly annoyed by this sudden crasher, but Nate could only continue dissecting the situation. From what he had surmised, there was a common connection, a person, specifically this ‘Rosa’s’ brother.

“Hey,” Hugh grunted, getting their attention. “If it’s all the same to you, we’d like to get going. Might as well get a head start on things.”

“Hm? Oh, of course!” Bianca nodded. “I’m so sorry — we just got busy catching up is all.”

“Yeah, sorry about your battle, guys,” Rosa sighed. “Even if it was between two noobs, I kinda barged right in.”

“Who are you calling a noob?” Hugh flared. “You wanna go right here?”

He drew a completely different pokéball from Oshawott’s. It gave off an intense pressure. Nate was the one who held him back by the shoulder.

“Tch, don’t get taunted by some stupid girl. We’ve gotta meet Trish and our Moms now.”

Rosa’s brow rose at Nate’s comment. “You think I’m just  _ some stupid girl _ ?”

“Mhm,” Nate nodded, much to her aggravation. “No normal person hitches a ride on someone else’s bird. You’re obviously too stupid to catch your own Flying-type.”

“Why you… alright then, tough guy, let’s have it out right here! No holds barred!” Rosa’s growl led her to draw her own pokéball, much to Hugh’s annoyance and Nate’s delight.

“You… you set this up,” Hugh muttered.

“Guilty as charged ~”

Nate smirked, but he did not draw his main pokéball before releasing his newest member. Sabbath the tepig snorted embers as it was released, but much to its chagrin, there was no opponent.

“Don’t worry, little guy, you’ll get your chance,” Nate told it. “I just need you to observe your first battle for now.”

Sabbath looked mildly disappointed, but understood that it was still inexperienced, and its new trainer, from the looks of things, knew what he was doing. A menacing shine emanated from the pokéball now in his hand.

“Wow… you kids sure are full of energy,” Bianca sighed, having been shoved into the background of that exchange. “In any case, I don’t mind being a referee again. This looks to be a one versus one single battle.”

Nate nodded. “Pretty much.”

“You got it!” Rosa snickered. “I’m gonna wipe the floor with this asshat!”

“Big words. Can you back ‘em up?”

“Watch me!”

Hugh simply sighed, withdrawing his pokéball whilst releasing his own starter. “You’ll watch this one, Oshawott. You could use the experience too.”

Oshawott got a feel for the situation from just feeling the intensity of the two trainers about to duke it out. It watched intently beside Sabbath. The two were to be opponents mere minutes ago, but were now pushed to the audience seat alongside Hugh, who surveyed the battle with laser focus.

Rosa and Nate leapt backwards, making the lookout itself their arena.

“Percival, time to battle!”

“Let’s crush ‘em, Ray!”

Their confident expressions gave way to hurtling pokéballs which bounced off each other in the air. The crimson light gave form to the two pokémon.

Aspertia’s Lookout shook.

* * *

The raging inferno that had reduced the Nature Preserve to a charred wasteland now summoned storm clouds over the desolation. There among the carved cliffside, the black-scaled Haxorus breathed heavily, its body covered in bruises and burns. Before it, Magnezone floated menacingly, not having suffered any kind of major damage.

Haxorus let out another roar, but suddenly fell to a knee, feeling sparks dancing across its body. Magnezone proceeded to use the opportunity to blast it with a full power Flash Cannon, embedding the poor dragon in the rocks.

“Tch… so that’s as far as you go?” the cold voice of the scientist drawled. “I had such high hopes for you, too…”

The dragon snarled in response, rising once more from the rubble. This caused the scientist to simply push his glasses up.

“I see you’ve still got fight in you. Come, then,” he pressed the button on Colress Machine #27, inflicting great agony upon Haxorus. “Let’s see just how far you can go!

“Magnezone, Discharge.”

Magnezone’s magnets began to spin dangerously as it wove thousands of amps into an energy field destructive enough to carve into the stone. Tendrils of power surged across the lands in a dance of currents, and they all converged upon Haxorus with a merciless onslaught.

The Dragon roared before shooting a devastating Hyper Beam, but it was swallowed in the maelstrom of sparks, rendered inert before the full brunt of a thunderstorm struck Haxorus down where it stood. Electricity coursed through its body, scorching the insides of its scales and running scalpels through its brain.

Haxorus felt the life leaving its body as the electricity hollowed it out, inflicting a slow, painful shutdown. Still, it refused to yield.

“Hoh…?” the scientist’s head tilted. “So you can still fight, despite all this?”

THUMP.

Haxorus took its step through the energy field, a primal fury having overcome its eyes. It would not stand for being this man’s plaything.

THUMP.

A second step. The water from its eyes had evaporated, leaving them cracked and bleeding. Still, it persevered, clenching its jaw before concentrating a massive amount of power from all its Dragon Dancing.

_ “GRROOOOOAAAAARGH!!” _ came its bellow, as the bladed appendages that were its teeth transformed into sickles of death. It charged through Magnezone’s attack before striking it once to break the current, and then twice, to knock it flying back into a cliff. Magnezone’s center faltered, and its lustrous body earned itself a gnarly dent.

The scientist was taken aback. Although Magnezone rose back up, only slightly aggravated, this Haxorus’ numbers had spiked into transcendent levels just from that final exchange. 

“This… this is amazing! Such power in an attack as simple as Dual Chop… why, I’ve sold you egregiously short!” his gaze then left his tablet, a manic gleam having taken his eyes. “You… I must study you further.”

The dragon’s body, unfortunately, could no longer keep up with its resolve. That was its final hit, for it let out a moan of pain before flopping sideways. Fatigued as it was, however, Haxorus was denied even its fall, for it felt the cold touch of a palm-sized sphere upon its head. The capsule opened before sucking the dragon in with a blinding flash of red light.

The pokéball fell to the ground, shook once, twice, thrice, before a distinct click wrought the silence before a storm.

Now ecstatic, the scientist strode over to pick up his pokéball. “You… your contribution to my research, Haxorus, will lead to a revolution in Pokémon Battling! Rejoice, for you are now part of my grand vision…

“You, of all your species, will be a pioneer to a new realm of power!”

Magnezone floated slowly to its trainer’s side, motioning at the clouds swirling overhead.

“Mm… yes, you’re correct. I suppose it is time we got moving,” the scientist nodded whimsically. “Then let us depart.”

He leapt onto his Magnezone and floated over the devastated hellscape he had created. The Pokémon of the preserve had all but lost their habitat, and the corpses of many unfortunate victims of the rampaging Haxorus lay buried under the debris.

His gaze betrayed an empty conscience.

Colress was his name, and in pursuit of his mission, he would tear the colour from the skies. The horizon darkened as Magnezone became but a speck in the wayward winds.

* * *

Three shadows made themselves known aboard the Command Deck, where a large, imposing man in a grey cloak looked upon the world beyond the pristine glass. His singular eye projected the malice of a thousand damned souls upon Unova, and his face merely twitched upon sensing the presence of his top executives.

They bowed before his back. “Master Ghetsis…”

“Shadow Triad, tell me… Have you found him?” Ghetsis smirked.

“Affirmative,” the man in the middle replied. “He shows great power, and inhuman drive.”

“With a single pokémon, he laid waste to the Nature Preserve,” said the second shadow on his right.

“He wields unseen technology,” the third shadow added. “Simulations show a massive spike in performance to his test subjects.”

“My, my, how very interesting…” the cloaked madman chuckled grimly. “You’ve gone and found me another freak. The irony in this matter truly strikes at the heart.”

“The man, Colress, is a scientist who hails from the Sinnoh Region,” the first shadow said, unfazed. “Background searches show us next to nothing, but observation has told us this: his goal is to bring out the true potential of pokémon. For that, he will do anything.”

“As resourceful as ever, I see,” Ghetsis nodded. “Very well, then, I will devise a method to bring this man to our side. A resource as valuable as this… as powerful as this… it would be foolish not to keep it in check.

“You three are dismissed,” he said. “Report in when you set a proper meeting point. I will meet this ‘Colress’ in person.”

Without another word, the Triad vanished.

Ghetsis stood alone overlooking the Unovan landscape once more. Two years ago, he found his ambitions crushed, his plans foiled, and his grand design for the domination of this region, snuffed out in a violent war of Truth and Ideals.

“No more domination, Unova… no… that is too light a punishment for your affronts!” he cackled. “There will be nothing as merciful as subjugation for you…

“You, who produced hellspawns and freaks to destroy my plans…

“You, who clung to weak notions like bonds and compassion…

“I will see you in ashes. I will herald your end,  _ personally _ .”

The proclamation, spat with venom and vitriol befitting a crazed seviper, left a lingering chill in the air.

“I will  _ not _ be foiled again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot doth thicken ~
> 
> Something to clarify: Colress' Magnezone can actually see the electromagnetic spectrum, and control the waves in a way that leaves it unaffected by the Colress Machine. This is something it has trained for, and not something most Magnezone can nail on the first try. Just thought I'd clarify that before getting called out on a plothole, since waveforms and the like.
> 
> I'll be putting the characters' teams on display here. It'll be for all the relevant characters. I'm going to be considering Colress a main character, since he's highly relevant in this story's progression (Although, his team updates will be only in the chapters he is present).
> 
> Nate: Ray (???) / Sabbath (Tepig)
> 
> Hugh: ??? / Oshawott
> 
> Rosa: Percival (Serperior)
> 
> Colress: Beheeyem / Magnezone / ??? / ??? / ??? / Haxorus*
> 
> With that said, I want to thank all the patrons to this story for their unyielding support and immensely positive feedback. It's what led to the (much earlier than intended) release of this chapter.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed the story so far, and I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your day.  
~ Ace ♤


	3. Icebreaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this might be a slightly shorter chapter, but I had to end it there, or it would be an exceedingly long one. Sorry, I guess.
> 
> Disclaimer applies as usual. Enjoy!  
~ Ace ♤

Aspertia Lookout shook from the tremors of a raging battle. Covered in a dust cloud, the arena for two young trainers exploded from the impact of powerful attacks in epic collisions. Rosa and Nate both held determined expressions, their teeth gritted as the wild dust storm intensified. Swiping motions howled in the winds as metal met metal in visceral clashes.

Hugh watched carefully, unfazed by the flying dust as the two starter pokémon hid behind his baggy pants to shield their eyes.

“Tch…” Hugh grumbled at them. “This is an important fight. Stop cowering and focus!”

Oshawott and Sabbath were startled by his sudden outrage, but when they looked up, they saw that he didn't spare them so much as a glance. Oshawott's expression hardened first; it could not let its new trainer down. Sabbath followed along similarly, and the two decided to brave this storm side by side.

Hugh smiled at this. “Good,” he told little Sabbath in particular. “This is more important for you; watch carefully and absorb your trainer's style. Nate let you out of the ball for exactly that.”

Sabbath snorted a few embers, burning to ash the dust that moved towards its face. It watched Nate's expression, and its lips curled to mirror the look.

Rosa thanked her mother a million times over for the visor, for as it sheltered her eyes, it shielded them from the violent shockwaves. Her teeth ground one another to dust, as only one thought remained. 

_ I've seriously underestimated this kid… _

Percival had brandished Iron Tail, locking swipes with an opponent too fast for Rosa to see. Azure blurs lent themselves to her eyes on occasion, and while her pokémon kept up well, her understanding of the situation was as hazy as the battlefield.

It haunted her how her opponent held such a knowing expression. She saw it through glimpses in the smoke.

“Tch… Percival, switch tactics! Dragon Pulse!”

Percival took to the air with a leap, swiping downwards with Iron Tail to ground its parrying opponent before it unleashed hell with a blast of draconic power. The Lookout was razed by the stream of energy, but the mysterious pokémon jumped out of the smoke before landing by its trainer's side.

“Good work, Ray,” Nate snickered as his partner let out a gruff bark of affirmation.

The swirling cloud of dust dissipated from the force of the last attack, and as the smoke cleared, Ray revealed itself. A sleek, bipedal pokémon with the facial structure of a jackal. Its blue fur glistened in the late morning Sun, and the golden overcoat covering its torso whipped in the winds. Deep black highlights streaked across its body, rimming its waistline and shoulders while covering its face and snout like a three-pronged mask. It possessed short, round spikes on the back of each paw and its chest.

The appendages behind its ears had risen to an intense float, and the air around the pokémon was heavy.

“What the heck is that thing?” Rosa blurted, and even Percival looked shocked.

“Hey, I don't appreciate you labeling him as a ‘thing’.” Nate snorted as his lucario gruffly barked Rosa down. “Looks like he doesn't either ~”

Ignoring him, Rosa raised her pokédex.

_ “Lucario, the Aura Pokémon,” _ it read.  _ “By catching the Aura emanating from others, it can read their thoughts and movements. It is said that no foe can remain invisible to Lucario, and a well trained one can sense aurae to identify and take in the feelings of creatures over half a mile away.” _

“Wow… I didn't know such a pokémon even existed…”

“It's one of the new species that have entered Unova over these past few years,” Bianca decided to chime in, still standing in the position of referee. “Lucario are incredibly rare, though. I didn't think you'd have one, Nate.”

“You're making us blush,” Nate drawled before turning back to Rosa. “So, are we gonna do this, or are you chickening out?”

She had noticed the lucario's typing and realised that this would be a long battle, but Rosa couldn't stand Nate's condescending tone. “No one's chickening out!”

* * *

“Percival, hit it with Dragon Pulse!”

“Bone Rush: Spin!” Nate countered.

As Percival let loose its draconic power once more, Ray brought its palms together before drawing a bright energy staff from thin air. A spinning vortex of motion followed, and the Dragon Pulse met a near-impenetrable wall. The sheer power of the wind currents ripped the Dragon Pulse apart, sending chunks of it into a spiraling rain all over the lookout.

Rosa looked horrified.

“Now Bone Rush: Double Shot!” Nate roared, as Ray split the staff in two instantly.

Wielding them like escrima sticks, the lucario burst forward to strike Percival twice across the jaw. The serpent reeled in pain, even against the resisted hit.

“Percival, slam it with Iron Tail!”

“Extreme Speed!”

Percival brought a blade-like tail down on thin air as Ray vanished from sight. Its figure flickered like a phantom around the battlefield, creating doubles from the raw speed of the motion.

“Percival, stand steady!” Rosa regained her composure as the field began cracking from the force of Ray's every step. Percival stood ready with Iron Tail.

“Now!” Nate commanded.

“From the left!” Rosa yelled.

Avoiding a brutal knee strike, Percival coiled around Ray before slamming the lucario into the ground and cratering it further with a descending Iron Tail. The battlefield burst into faulting plates as the critical strike echoed throughout Aspertia.

Nate was shocked. “How the fu—”

“Don't let up! Dragon Pulse!”

Percival let another azure blast loose, nailing Ray with the searing attack before driving it further into the ground. The serpent then landed by its trainer's side riding the force of its own attacks. Percival had coiled into a defensive stance instantly, letting out a low growl.

“… Not gonna lie, that was impressive,” Nate muttered. “How'd you do it?”

“Oh, that's simple,” Rosa said pompously, causing Hugh to roll his eyes. “I followed your eyes!”

“You… followed my eyes?”

“Mhm! I couldn't possibly follow Lucario's movements, but you were fair game, slowpoke! You can't help but watch its blind spots. In this case, further left meant its back was further left, which told me the attack was coming from the left.”

Hugh's eyes widened. “Wow… all that from a glance?”

“My brother's capable of far more!”

Nate chuckled at this. “Nobody asked. And as impressive as that was, you're still a silly little girl. Perhaps even a little  _ actually _ stupid.”

“Wha…? Hey—!” Rosa quickly saw what he meant, however, as the chatter had given way to a brutal elbow strike that nailed Percival in the throat. It gagged as it was sent flying back, revealing a rested and recovered lucario smirking in unison with its trainer. “You dirty—!”

“Dirty? This is a battle!” Nate roared. “I'll use whatever I have to for the win, even if it's your stupid ass monologuing!

“Now use Bone Rush: Barrage!”

Crossing its outstretched arms, Ray wove a spark of power between its wrist spikes before drawing two deadly looking escrima sticks made of energy. It rushed the still flying Percival before slamming it across the jaw once more.

“Argh, Percival, intercept with Iron Tail!”

“This time won't be so easy!”

Ray wielded its escrimas with incredible finesse, parrying and blowing back the aerial swings of Iron Tail. While Percival was a skilled enough fighter to ride the force and keep itself airborne, Ray and Nate both planned for this.

In a visceral clash, Percival was boosted into the air, allowing Ray to hurl its sticks sidewards. Rosa's eyes widened when it abandoned its weapons, and they widened further when it instantly drew two more to block Percival's descending stroke.

The bone sticks began a violent streak of bounces, rocketing around the field in meticulous ricochet off the lookout rails. A sense of dread overcame Rosa when Percival was launched once more, and the amount of ricocheting bones grew to four.

“Now for Staff Rush!” Nate commanded. “Hit 'em full force!”

Ray drew forth a seven-foot long staff this time before thrusting it painfully into Percival's chin. The serpent was sent flying into the air as Ray began spinning its staff at all four flying sticks with pinpoint precision. They began to bounce off nearby trees over the rails before the lucario itself snap vanished to strike Percival from above. 

The five bones struck simultaneously, eviscerating the serpent with a series of critical strikes.

“Percival! No!” Rosa cried as the battered serpent slumped to the ground.

Ray landed by Nate's side once more with a smirk, but the expression faltered when it felt a stinging pain across its cheek. A fresh bruise had formed under its shoulder too, alongside another by the thigh. Strikes from Iron tail, though grazes, had left their mark. Nate smiled at the outcome clearly being in his favour.

“Heh… to think you could withstand Barrage and Staff Rush, and even counterattack… maybe you're not all talk.”

The serperior rose in response to the taunt, letting out an almost feral growl. Both Rosa and her snake glared daggers at Nate and Ray. While battered and bruised to a breaking point, Percival was far from knocked out.

* * *

Sabbath watched in awe alongside Oshawott as Ray delivered a relentless Bone Rush beatdown on Percival. Despite all the hits being not very effective, the brutality of the strikes had left the emerald serpent gasping for breath, twitching various muscles along its scaly body from sprains and lacerations.

Yet, it did not give up.

Despite Nate being opposed from Rosa, the little tepig could not help but feel inspired by how resilient the girl and her serperior were.

“That's more like it,” Hugh remarked, startling both Oshawott and Sabbath. “Never take your eyes off the battle. Next time, it could be you two in there.”

With gruff nods, the two starters continued to observe the battle intently. Sabbath admired its senior member on the team. Ray was a formidable force with deadly skill and an amazingly versatile fighting style. It could not wait to catch up.

Bianca watched the entire interaction from the referee spot with a giggle.

“You're awfully close with Nate, aren't you?” she asked Hugh.

“What makes you say that?”

“Oh, it's just the way you look out for his pokémon, even though you really don't have to.”

“He's a treasured comrade,” Hugh grunted. “He has my back, so I have his. It's as simple as that.”

“Mm… that's a beautiful kind of friendship.”

Hugh did not respond, instead choosing to focus on the battle at hand.

* * *

The pidove chirped outside the Aspertia Pokémon Academy windows, which let in the lazy shine of the late morning Sun. Addressing a class of about 20 stood a tall, pale-skinned, slender young man with jet black hair that stuck a tuft out of the top. He wore an orange necktie over his white dress-shirt and navy blue trousers. His stern onyx gaze did not betray the fact that he wore contacts at all.

At the top of the board, the writing read in pristine letters ‘BASIC STRATEGY’, and beneath that was a diagram illustrating Mightyena and Gardevoir across from each other. Below Gardevoir was the label ‘trainer’ along with ‘Psychic’, ‘Thunderbolt’, ‘Calm Mind’ and a blank list item, while the Mightyena diagram was simply labeled ‘opponent’ The professor proceeded to address the class.

“The situation you see before you is unorthodox, and is likely never going to be encountered,” he said. “But… to be prepared for anything is what distinguishes a good trainer from a great trainer.”

The class nodded.

“Good. In this scenario, we can assume that Mightyena does not possess a Dark-type Move, or that the Dark-type Move is out of PP. We can also assume that Gardevoir is under the effects of Disable, rendering it unable to use Thunderbolt.

“What last move and Held Item will allow Gardevoir to prevail in this situation?”

The class looked dumbstruck.

“Really? No takers?” the professor sighed. “We studied Held Items last week, guys. Did none of you revise?”

“Sir, Mightyena is a Dark-type, and Gardevoir can’t learn  _ Soak  _ or  _ Miracle Eye _ !” one of the students replied. “How can  _ Psychic _ hit a Dark-type?”

The professor shook his head. “Ralph, you’re not thinking properly. Recall our lesson last week on Held Items.”

Silence permeated the room.

“… Fine, it looks like none of you can remember… I'll give you the answer,” he said, shaking his head. “Gardevoir can still win against Mightyena if it employs  _ Trick _ , alongside the Held Item  _ Ring Target _ .”

Gasps of realization rang across some of the students, while the less studious were still staring blankly. It was the latter group that placed a tired expression on the teacher’s face.

“Ring Target is a Held Item that eliminates the holder’s Type-Based Move Immunities. A Ghost-type holding this item will be susceptible to Normal or Fighting-type moves without the use of Foresight beforehand, and Dark Types will be affected by Psychic moves even without being hit by Miracle Eye.

“Do remember, however, that the Ring Target cannot cancel the more rooted properties of certain types. Electric types will remain immune to Thunder Wave, and Grass types will also remain immune to any powder based moves.”

The class nodded dejectedly, realising that they needed to study harder. This just drew another sigh from the professor.

“Listen, don’t let this demoralise you. There’s still a whole month before your midterms; you have plenty of time to study and practice and apply what you learn in class.”

While the class brightened up, the door to the classroom swung wide open. At the doorstep, a youngster and a lass stood panting, leaning against the door frame.

The teacher’s eyebrows rose. “Serena, Clyde, is everything alright?”

“Sir… you wouldn’t… answer your… XTransceiver…” Clyde said between gasps for air.

“It’s terrible! Aspertia Lookout—” Serena wheezed. “Destruction… Pokémon Moves… Dragon-type…”

“Someone’s firing off Dragon-type Moves at the Lookout?” the professor looked flabbergasted. “Someone’s  _ battling _ at the Lookout? For crying out loud, I installed nine new stadiums in the city!”

Both Serena and Clyde ended up nodding, leading the professor to take on a stern expression that slightly unnerved his students.

“Class, you’ll be under the supervision of Clyde and Serena. I want to hear no complaints from them,” he said, before making his way towards the exit. “I have something to take care of.”

“Good luck, sir!” Ralph called, earning a smile from his teacher.

“Professor,” Serena stopped him. “You.. you might need your pokémon!”

“I have them with me,” the professor replied. “Take care of the kids.”

* * *

“Percival, you good to go?”

Percival roared at Rosa's question, priming itself for a tenacious assault. This only drew grins from Nate and Ray. They were not knowing grins, but they exuded raw excitement.

“Hey Ray, I know it's not perfect, but we'll need to put it to use now!” Nate called. “Get ready.”

“That's right, I've only seen Bone Rush and Extreme Speed,” Rosa nodded. “Figured you were hiding something.”

“For an idiot too stupid to catch her own bird, you're pretty sharp.”

“You know what?” Rosa's face scrunched up. “I don't care what you're hiding! We're gonna rip that smirk off your face!

“Percival, get ready for Giga Impact!”

An eruption of power burst forth from the serperior's scales, enveloping it in a pink flame. Percival rocketed forward at blazing speed and the force of a hurricane.

“Whoa! Dodge it on all fours!” Nate yelled, causing Ray to drop on all fours before taking a leap over the streaking serpent. “We can't let that hit us! Extreme Speed!”

Ray vanished after landing, narrowly avoiding the follow-up blow. A series of phantom images now appeared on the field, each of which was vapourized by the rushing serpent.

“You crazy woman! You had  _ that _ in reserve?” Nate blurted.

“You're damn right I did!” she growled. “Speaking of right, Percival, hard right!”

“Shit—”

Percival drove itself straight into Ray's side with a sickening  _ CRACK _ , sending the jackal flying. Ray gagged up a mouthful of bile, but recovered before a head-on collision with the railing. 

“Bone Rush: Javelin!” Nate yelled.

Ray caught itself before drawing forth an energy staff and hurling it like a spear. Nate had her, he thought, because Giga Impact required a recharge.

“Block it!”

“What?!”

Percival used its full momentum to somersault forward, slamming its tail into the ground to raise the granite tiles as a barrier against the incoming staff. An explosive collision left the serperior unmarred, with Ray being in far worse shape than before. It clung to its torso while struggling to stand.

“What a hit…” Hugh mumbled. “And that was not very effective, too…”

“Did you  _ really _ think I would use Giga Impact like an amateur?” Rosa scoffed, causing Nate to click his tongue in turn.

“Alright, take two! On all fours, now!”

“Keep up the pressure, Iron Tail!”

“Wait for it…”

Ray got on all fours, finding it far easier to stand with the brutal injury suffered. Percival, having recovered in the meanwhile, shot forward with its sharpened tail, ready to strike the jackal down.

Nate smirked. “Now! Blaze Kick!”

A vicious snarl gave way to all four of the lucario's legs being ignited in a blazing inferno. Rosa and Percival were both horrified, but before the serpent could change course, it was seared by the vicious tendrils of fire that whipped forth from Ray's spinning advance.

The lucario went viciously in on its opponent with all four limbs ablaze, cutting into its grassy scales before nailing it in the gut with a direct roundhouse kick.

“Percival!”

“Don't let up! Extreme Speed!”

Ray moved to finish the match, but its injury triggered a wave of pain and an agonised howl, causing it to falter on the spot and lose the flames.

“Shit, Ray, are you okay?”

“Percival, fall back now!”

Both pokémon looked like they were at their limits. Percival wheezed for air, holding back screams as its singed body smoked up the heated blows inflicted. Ray, in the meanwhile, slowly steadied itself with its concerned trainer watching for a counteroffensive.

* * *

Parting the crowds, a young man in a dress-shirt and necktie let himself get to the Aspertia Lookout staircase. Nobody dared ascend, for they had scene the destructive beams and flying debris unleashed from the top.

“Hey, look, it’s Professor Cheren!” one of the people in the crowd called. “Let him through! Let him through!”

Professor Cheren had a dire expression on his face. Someone was disrupting the peace in  _ his _ town. Having recently been assigned here after his run and loss to Alder at the Pokémon League, Cheren wasn’t about to let anyone tear up the city he was tasked to protect.

“Excuse me… coming through… thanks…” he reached the foot of the Lookout before drawing a pokéball and making his run up the stairs.

* * *

“We’re going in full force, Ray!” Nate roared. “Bone Rush: Javelin!”

“Knock it aside with Iron Tail!”

Both pokémon lunged with their respective attacks, as Percival knocked the incoming staff away with a side swipe of Iron Tail. The jackal itself had vanished and appeared before it, however.

“Blaze Kick!”

“Crap— Dodge it!”

“Too late!”

A searing back kick sliced at the serperior’s throat, causing it to gag as it coughed smoke from the heat. Its tail waved back, however, further forcing Ray on the defensive with its second kick. The attacks clashed with an earth-shaking shockwave.

“This battle is amazing…” Bianca gawked. “I can’t believe either of them is still standing—”

“Don’t underestimate Nate and Ray,” Hugh scoffed. “They’re not being defeated by some stupid, tactless broad.”

“Hey! I’m right here!” Rosa cried.

“You’re distracted again! Ray, Extreme Speed!” Rosa couldn’t react before Ray sent a vicious haymaker into Percival’s jaw, sending it reeling. “Now follow up with—”

“Stoutland, Hyper Beam!”

From nowhere, a massively powerful beam of energy blasted the battlefield between the two tired combatants, blowing them both back.

Hugh and Nate turned around, while Bianca and Rosa could only stand dumbstruck at who they saw. Before them was a very familiar looking teacher, and in parts an equally angry looking Stoutland.

“No way…” Nate muttered. “Professor Cheren?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can't tell, I love thickening this plot. I also love writing fuckfights like this where I can flex choreography. If there's any parts that didn't appeal to you, voice out so I can amend future battles to perhaps better suit your tastes (although, I say this keeping in mind that I can't please everyone).
> 
> It's to be noted that these first five or so chapters will set the tone for the rest of the story, so I appreciate all the positive feedback ^^.
> 
> As usual, here’s the team updates. Nothing’s changed save for a reveal.
> 
> Nate: Ray (Lucario) / Sabbath (Tepig)
> 
> Hugh: ??? / Oshawott
> 
> Rosa: Percival (Serperior)
> 
> As usual, thanks for all the support and reviews. Hope you can keep ‘em coming so I can continue to improve the quality of this fic, and perhaps cater to some requests. I’m not too far ahead of the chapters themselves, so there’s room to accomodate minor requests you may have.
> 
> Have a great rest of the day!  
~ Ace ♤


	4. Braver is Stronger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another chapter release ~ Pre-production’s been a great help, since I can actually pace my writing a lot better than usual, considering I have upwards of three chapters to fall back on.
> 
> Disclaimer does still apply, and I’m gonna say it applies for the rest of this damn story because it does. No more of the disclaimer bullshit here.
> 
> As usual, hope you enjoy the chapter!  
~ Ace ♤

“Wait, is that Cheren?” Rosa asked. “Wait…  _ Professor _ Cheren?”

“What, you know  _ him _ too?” Nate rolled his eyes.

“Of course! Him and Bianca were my neighbours!”

At this, the brunet sighed. This day was turning out to be one festive coincidence.

Cheren, in the meanwhile, didn’t take long to size up the situation. The stern expression did not leave him for even an instant. His gaze lingered on his two former students and the stranger — a brunette with her hair tied into bunned pigtails. Nate held his usual reserved, calculating expression, while Hugh simply met his eyes head on without flinching.

The two starter pokémon showed more curiosity than anything, sizing up the stranger who looked like a tax collector.

The professor motioned for his rather grumpy stoutland to stand down. “Good morning, Nate, Hugh, and… do I know you?”

Rosa looked at him almost incredulously. “Hey, you don’t remember me?”

“You look familiar, but I’m opposed to chancing misremembering you.”

At least Cheren hadn’t changed too much. Even after two years, he was as stoic and calculating as ever, using needlessly large words to convey a simple message.

“Ch-Cheren, hi…” Bianca chirped from behind the smoke.

“Bianca?” Cheren’s brows rose, marking his first instance of showing emotion. “What’re you doing all the way out here?”

“I’m Professor Juniper’s assistant, remember?” she ran over to him. “I came here to deliver Nate’s pokédex, and wouldn’t you know it, he got us another volunteer!”

“After your debauchery of a one liner, yeah,” Nate added sarcastically, causing Bianca to puff her cheeks.

“Right…” Cheren nodded. “Wait… Bianca, you were  _ with _ them this whole time?”

“Uh-huh!”

“… And you just stood by and watched as they tore up the Lookout?”

“Wha~at? It’s not that ba—” a cursory glance turned the end of that statement very meek. Bianca slowly went pale as she assessed the damage: utterly upheaved tiling, gashed trees, broken railings and a lamp post rolled down the mountain. “—ad…”

“You… you haven’t changed a single bit,” Cheren sighed exasperatedly. “I’ll have to see to repairs here over the course of the week.”

“Ohmygodthankyoufornotmakinguspay—”

Cheren opted not to dignify his blubbering childhood friend, and instead turned to the three trainers. “You three… you’ll need to give your statements, but I’ll see that they let you off the hook with a warning this time.”

“Thanks, professor,” Hugh nodded. “Although… our schedule’s all but ruined now, Nate.”

“Guess that’s how the cookie crumbles,” Nate shrugged. “I’ll smack the idiot here next time.”

“I’m not an idiot!” Rosa snarled in frustration, glaring daggers at her prior opponent.

Nate ignored her and reached for pokéballs to withdraw Ray and Sabbath. Hugh did the same with Oshawott, leaving Rosa’s barely standing serperior alone. Nate then reached into his sling bag and tossed Rosa a Hyper Potion. “Catch.”

“Eh…?” she caught it, mildly confused.

“You put up a decent-ish fight,” he shrugged. “I figured it wouldn’t be very gentlemanly to leave your serperior like that.”

Rosa’s eyes widened further as she watched Nate deliver medicine to his Lucario’s pokéball. So the boy  _ was _ capable of being nice.

Hugh raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Call it a whim,” Nate shrugged, before his expression intensified. “Besides, I feel like something filthy’s about to go down.”

* * *

“Cheren!” Rosa walked forward after healing her serperior, much to the professor’s surprise. “You do remember me, right?”

Cheren’s eyes narrowed. “I suppose I do. You’ve grown into a strong trainer, from what the Lookout says.”

Even Bianca sensed the underlying tension in their conversation. The air went taut when the two locked eyes. Cheren had all but anticipated her next question.

“I can’t tell you about Hilbert.”

“What?” she blurted, before gritting her teeth. “Why not? You were closest to him!”

She advanced towards him, but backed away the moment Stoutland took an aggressive step to stay her. Its snarls instantly led Percival to coil around her defensively.

“Ch-Cheren…” Bianca looked at him. “She’s—”

“I know who she is, but what she’s doing is reckless and idiotic,” Cheren said, his intense gaze unwavering. “I got the run-down from Lenora; she’s poking something she really shouldn’t be.”

“And what’s that?” Nate asked, earning him incredulous expressions which he dismissed. “Stop that; Hugh and I are basically involved at this point.”

Hugh remained silent, observing how the situation played out.

“So, what is it?” Nate asked again. “What’s this idiot doing that’s so wrong?”

Cheren sighed. “Nate… I advise you to stay out of this matter.”

“Why? Does it concern Hilbert Grant,  _ missing _ champion of Unova?”

Everyone’s jaw sans Hugh’s dropped like they were chained to anchors.

“You!” Rosa growled. “You know something, don’t you?”

“Don’t be actually stupid, you stupid girl,” Nate said sharply, causing her to recoil. “I just sniffed out a rat and called it. I never bought that shitty cover about his silent decline of the champion status… Kanto already did that story.

“Besides, these two come from the same town as him, and you’ve mentioned your ‘brother’ more times than I can call healthy, so two plus two, right?”

Cheren sized Nate up. “I’ve watched you grow for two years as a student of my school, Nate, and you don’t do very much without proper reason.”

“Call this something I’ve been reading up on for a friend, then.”

“Fair enough,” Cheren nodded. “Now stay out of it, and stop pursuing it. That’s my final order as your teacher.”

Nate moved to say something further, but Hugh placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“Wha—”

“Not yet,” Hugh said. “This isn’t our fight.”

“Hugh, I—”

“Look at the girl…”

Hugh’s angle clicked when Nate saw the fire in Rosa’s eyes. In spite of Stoutland, she took another step forward. “Look, I don’t know why you’re acting like this, but you have your reasons.”

“Astute observation… it won’t give you any answers.”

“Tch,” Rosa’s eyes flared up. “Fine then, we’ll beat ‘em out of you!” She pointed at him with an intense gaze. “I challenge you right here and right now, Cheren!”

“Right here and right now…?” Cheren thought about this, much to Nate’s vexation. “Alright, I accept, but on a single condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“You lose this one, and you’ll go back home to Nuvema, no questions.”

“Cheren!” Even Bianca saw what was going on. “That’s too much!”

Rosa gritted her teeth and beckoned Percival forward. “Like shit it is, Bianca! We accept! We’re not gonna lose!”

* * *

Bianca’s expression was downcast as the spectators, Nate and Hugh, watched this unfold intently. Nate’s fists clenched, for he had become a party to this crafty plan the brunette was coolly ignorant of. Hugh’s gaze never wavered from a state of observation, however. The boy was unreadable sometimes, even to Nate.

Standing across from each other were a highly nettled Rosa and a collected Cheren.

“This will be a one versus one Single Battle,” Bianca said. “I’ll stand as the referee. The conditions have been established.”

“Percival, stand ready!” Rosa commanded.

“Stoutland, time to battle.”

Bianca raised a hand. “And BEGIN!”

Stoutland rushed forward while Percival snaked across the battlefield. The wrecked lookout had become the site for one last showdown.

“Percival, Dragon Pulse!”

“Dodge it!”

Stoutland evaded the streams of azure flames with ease and dexterity, maneuvering its large body through the uneven terrain with expert control.

“Now use Crunch!”

“Counter with Iron Tail!”

The terrier wove around the incoming tail and sank its fangs painfully into Percival, drawing a pained groan from the serpent. Stoutland then threw Percival past Rosa.

“Percival, use—”

“Stoutland, Superpower!”

Percival could not react to the incoming blow, as Stoutland’s full power dug into its gut and drove it straight through the tree. The serperior gagged blood as the terrier bounced back to its trainer.

“Remember the conditions, Rosa,” Cheren sneered.

Rosa could only watch horrified, now fully feeling the effects of the harsh battle from before. The sight of her beloved partner’s blood was what snapped her out of the frenzied rage, allowing her to see clearly once more. Percival could barely lift itself off the ground with its back covered in splinters, but seeing its trainer’s expression breathed a last surge of power into it. With a roar, the serpent rose and primed itself to attack.

Rosa’s mind, however, was running blank. What could she do against a stronger, faster opponent?

“Tch… guess this ends things. Stoutland, use Hyper Beam!”

“No you won’t!” Nate growled, much to everyone’s shock.

“What?”

The ray of destruction stopped short before hitting a quivering Percival, for in front of it shone a crimson light, followed by a spinning bone staff. The vortex of wind ripped through the Hyper Beam attack with ease, shooting off flares of power in various directions away from Rosa and Percival.

* * *

“Nate… what’s the meaning of this?” Cheren glared as he beheld a lucario defending the nearly downed Percival.

Rosa’s eyes were wide with shock as she registered what had happened. The battle had been cut, and Percival began to swoon before falling forward. The brunette rushed to its side. “Percival, hang on!”

She laid it down gently, drawing a reassuring smile from her partner. “You… I… I’m so sorry… I got caught up in my feelings, and… and—”

“And you fucked up. Big time,” Nate growled at the surprised girl, who was nearly in tears. Still, the boy moved to defend her, leering with unbridled hostility at Cheren. “As for you… you think you’re slick? Any idiot can see that Serperior’s in no shape to fight properly.”

The professor shrugged. “The conditions were agreed upon in front of everyone.”

“Bullshit!” he roared. “You manipulated her like the bastard I never took you for, and worse… you made me an accomplice to your cowardice!”

Cheren did not back down. “Alas, a deal is a deal, and Rosa has lost.”

“No, she hasn’t,” Hugh pointed out, surprising everyone including Nate. “Serperior hasn’t fainted yet, so by the official rules of battle, this match is a draw.”

Ray glared down Stoutland, who returned the scorn tenfold. The two canines were already snarling at each other.

“Well, ‘professor’, you heard the man,” Nate spat. “Not only did you have the gall to dupe this girl, but you also went and used  _ my _ battle to do it. For that, I’m gonna crush you in her stead!”

Although he didn’t spare her a glance, Rosa’s gratitude practically radiated from her tear-filled eyes. If it weren’t for Nate and Hugh, she would have lost, and that would have been the end of her quest.

“Same conditions,” Nate went on. “Except this time, you’re fighting me and Ray.”

“Tch…” Cheren didn’t look very pleased, because Nate was a variable he hadn’t so much as considered in his plan to put this issue to bed. “You’re really adamant about this, aren’t you?”

“Like you wouldn’t know.”

Nate hurled three capsules at Cheren, who caught them easily between his fingers. They were an X-Attack, an X-Defend and an Elixir. This was a signal to heal, so that the professor had no excuses to use down the road of the battle.

The two glared daggers at each other as Nate’s respect for his former teacher laid splintered on the ground.

“That’s enough, Nate,” Hugh interjected again, stepping in between the two. He glanced back at his friend, who gave him an incredulous look. “You’re about as emotionally riled as the bunhead over there was.”

“Please, I’m completely on top of this.”

“Don’t kid yourself,” Hugh grunted. “You really think you cleaned her clock that well? Take a look at Ray.”

Sure enough, the lucario still hunched from the brutal Giga Impact it had taken, alongside all the Iron Tails and Dragon Pulses. It looked about ready to fall over as well.

Nate pursed his lips.

“I thought so,” he then smirked. “Don’t worry, I’ve always got your back… especially when you slip.”

“So, we’re at an impasse?” Cheren asked, causing Hugh to shake his head.

“No…” from his belt, he drew the same pokéball he had drawn on Rosa. A flame ignited in his own eyes. “I thought I’d see things through to the end… I thought that maybe you had a plan which could help everybody, just like you helped us back in school…

“But I was wrong.

“You set this girl up, and you used my friend’s battle to do it, reasons be damned; you’re despicable.”

Cheren’s eyes narrowed, as he found it hard to deny any of this. Bianca could only watch helplessly as Hugh tore into her friend. She could not bring herself to defend his actions at this point.

“You don’t mess with my friends,  _ Cheren _ ,” Hugh snarled. “For that, and that alone, I’m about to show you what my rage looks like.”

* * *

The battlefield rearranged itself as the Aspertia Lookout was prepared for one final bout. Nate recalled his lucario while Rosa did the same with Percival, leading the pair to take their places in the audience. Rosa looked pale, completely defeated, and wiped out from a combination of her fight with Nate and the stress from watching Percival’s blood spilt.

She had never in a million years fathomed that her childhood friend, the ever-reliable Cheren, would so ruthlessly beat her or her pokémon down.

Her visor covered her eyes, and she didn’t so much as look at the battlefield.

“Hey, bunhead,” Nate snapped her out of her daze. “Show some respect. Hugh’s out there, fighting on your behalf. The least you can do is watch him kick this nerd to the curb.”

“R-Right… Sorry…”

She looked up to see he hadn’t spared her a glance. Rosa could only sigh.

“I… I suppose I owe you a thank you,” she said. “And an apology.”

“Don’t thank us yet,” he retorted. “Just watch Hugh. If he blows this, you’re hightailing it back to whatever backwater town you crawled out of.”

“H-Huh?”

“The deal’s still in effect, you imbecile,” Nate growled. “If Cheren wins this, you’re going back home and  _ never _ pursuing this again.”

With a gulp, Rosa went silent. Percival was already getting the rest it deserved within its pokéball, so all she could do was watch this match.

“For the record,” Nate added. “I… hope you manage to find your brother.”

Her eyes went wide like saucers. In reality, nobody had really placed such a hope in her. During two long years of travel without fruit, she had been met with scorn, malice, contempt and apathy. Her mother was sick at home, and every turn she had taken was a dead end.

She didn’t know how much she needed to hear those words.

They breathed life back into her by planting a warm, excited smile on her lips. She would cheer this ‘Hugh’ on with all her strength.

“Right. Your friend had better win!”

“Heh,” Nate chuckled. “You can count on that.”

* * *

“Th-The match between Cheren Van Dyke and Hugh Beaumont will be a one versus one single battle!” Bianca called. “The winner will be decided when either or both sides is unable to continue fighting.”

“Van Dyke?” Nate snorted. “Never heard the prof’s last name, but who unironically names their kid that?”

“Hush up,” Rosa scoffed. “Cheren’s a good guy.”

“Sure, he’s the ideal human being,” Nate oozed sarcasm. “Really showed it off in that battle against you.”

Rosa simply grumbled curses at him under her breath, clearly too tired to retort.

“Here’s to a good match, Hugh,” Cheren said, almost sighing.

“Get bent,” Hugh snarled. “We’re going to end this. Braviary, it’s time to show them our  _ rage _ .”

A crimson flash burst forth from the casually tossed pokéball, and the fierce avian that took to the skies hollered a bloodcurdling battle cry. Its mighty wingbeats betrayed feathers of red and blue, and its vindictive gaze matched its trainer to a T.

“… Fine then, Stoutland,” Cheren said, applying all three items he had received. “Stand by!”

With a gruff snarl, the gargantuan terrier stepped into play, letting forth its own gnarly battlecry. The stage was set, and the battle raged on.

“Stoutland, Superpower!”

Stoutland dug its paws into the ground before a bright crimson aura erupted around it. It then bulleted skywards with a wicked ascending charge.

Rosa’s eyes widened when she realised how much power had been held back earlier.

“Braviary, that dog’s  _ weak _ ! Bulk Up!”

The Valiant Pokémon let out a defiant cry before its muscles bulged, and its wingbeats thundered through the air. Stoutland made a head-on collision with the mighty avian, but its attack was soaked up by the bird’s pectoral muscles. Hugh and Braviary smirked in unison.

“Oh no—” Cheren blurted.

“Show them what a  _ real _ Superpower looks like!”

Stoutland drowned in a maelstrom of crimson energy before Braviary rocketed into its gut with the super effective attack. The sickening  _ CRACK _ of many broken ribs echoed throughout the city as Stoutland hurtled towards the ground, injured critically by the strike.

“Stoutland!”

“We’re not done!” Hugh roared. “Brave Bird!”

“Dodge it!”

Stoutland recovered, and while it still ached from the Superpower, it managed to stay clear of the monstrous avian’s descent. The cloak of energy covering Braviary eviscerated the already ravaged battlefield, kicking up gale winds in the wake of the azure flame.

“Tch…” Cheren clicked his tongue. “Guess we can’t match you in pure power.”

“Brave Bird! Again!”

“Stoutland, Protect!”

This time, Braviary clashed head on with a firm barrier. Stoutland stood its ground, growling menacingly.

“Now hit it with Hyper Beam!”

“Shit—” was all Hugh could blurt before Braviary was engulfed in a massive beam of black energy. The bird gargled on the force as it was launched skywards. Stoutland’s snarls lingered in its ringing ears as its body fell towards the ground.

* * *

“No!” Rosa cried, fearing the worst, but she felt Nate’s hand firmly on her shoulder. Looking to him she saw a grave yet hopeful expression.

“Trust Hugh,” he said. “That’s not good enough to beat him.”

“You… how can you know?”

“I’ve known him for years,” Nate smirked. “Ray’s hit that Braviary with worse.”

Rosa took a moment to properly register the relationship between these two boys whose names were all but foreign to her.

“Gonna tell you this now, bunhead,” Nate scoffed. “I’ve never beaten Hugh.”

While slightly flustered by ‘bunhead’ as a nickname, Rosa simply took in the information. So this meant that Hugh was a formidable trainer indeed. Judging from his style and the type of his pokémon, she realised she had struck gold by not fighting him.

“Of course, he’s never beaten me either,” Nate added smugly.

* * *

“Braviary, shake it off!” Hugh roared. “That weak dog’s  _ nothing  _ to you!”

“I don’t appreciate you calling Stoutland ‘weak’, Hugh.”

“I call things as I see them,” he smirked, as Braviary did indeed shake off the full brunt of Hyper Beam as though it were simply shaking off some damp feathers. A predatory call signalled it had fully recovered, and an answering howl from Stoutland engaged round two.

Braviary took to the skies once more, while Stoutland raced across the uneven faults of the battlefield, preparing itself for liftoff by gathering momentum.

“Stoutland, Crunch!”

“Braviary, Tailwind!”

Braviary summoned gale winds behind it, boosting well out of Stoutland’s chomping range. The terrier made its descent empty-fanged.

“Now hit it on the drop with Superpower!”

“Counter with your own!” Cheren roared, having anticipated the move.

The two powerhouses covered themselves in crimson aura before clashing brutally in mid air. Visceral shock waves shot forth from the point of impact, heralding a wicked dust storm. Stoutland and Braviary clashed multiple times closer to ground, exchanging savage blows to whittle each other down.

Cheren clicked his tongue. “Hugh, I've seen through your style.”

Hugh did not answer, instead choosing to focus on the battle. His eyes did not so much as blink.

“Stoutland, Protect! Now!”

A barrier instantly blocked Braviary's vicious talon strike, allowing Stoutland to navigate under and drive a painful headbutt into the bird's jaw.

Hugh gritted his teeth as his bird recovered, this time aiming for a peck at the dog's snout.

“Use Crunch!”

Razor sharp fangs caught the incoming beak, and Stoutland slammed Braviary into the ground. The Valiant Pokémon groaned in pain as its back hit the pavement.

“Stand up, Braviary!” Hugh bellowed. “Hit 'em with Brave Bird!”

Cheren smirked. “Protect.”

Braviary's aura dissipated as its frontal charge hit a rock wall. A roar of anger escaped it as it was blown back from the force of its own attack.

* * *

“Shit,” Rosa fretted. “He's countered Braviary's attacks…”

Things indeed looked grim. Her analysis was sound — Protect was the worst kind of move for Hugh to face, especially when it was used by a trainer as proficient as Cheren.

Nate, however, did not lose his calm expression.

“Your commentary is annoying.”

“Wh-What?”

“You heard me,” he scoffed. “Despite fighting me and knowing what I said earlier, you're still doubting him.”

“Well…” Rosa's voice trailed into a mutter. “There's a lot more at stake for me…”

Evidently, Nate had picked up on how truly worn this girl was. It was clear she had suffered a lot, and that even the boy's constant jabs had taken their toll.

He sighed. “Listen, if you really paid attention to our fight, you'd know something.

“Beating his attacks doesn't mean shit if you're trying to beat  _ Hugh _ . If it were that simple, I'd have clapped his ass years ago.”

Rosa simply leveled a gaze upon the battlefield, choosing not to answer. Nate placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Just watch.”

* * *

“Brave Bird! Again!” Hugh bellowed, leading his avian partner to cloak itself in another batch of azure flames. Stoutland's barrier stopped it dead in its tracks.

“Crunch!”

“Dodge!”

Using the force of its own attack, Braviary deftly avoided the terrier's fangs, and the force of the gnashing teeth ripped into thin air.

Cheren adjusted his glasses to a blinding white. “You're wearing yourself out, Hugh. Why not give up this charade?”

“Keep talking… just like that.”

“Tell me something,” Cheren asked. “Why are you fighting for a no-good stranger?”

Rosa and Bianca flinched at the blunt jab, while Nate just leered at the professor silently. The venom in his voice, however, only made Hugh scoff.

“You really need to ask why I stepped in? You know the answer…” 

“Humour me.”

“Alright, you four-eyed freak… let's get one thing straight,” he snarled. “I'm not a verbal gymnast like Nate, but I don't need a reason to stop some creep from swindling a helpless girl.

“Especially when said creep  _ used my friend to do it! _ ”

Braviary's war cry mirrored the spiking flare in its trainer's voice, and a violent crimson aura exploded around it. Cheren felt a chill for a split second, for looking upon the valiant avian was like facing the very incarnation of rage.

Pure, unadulterated rage.

Rosa gasped at the sight of these two defending her without a thought, while Nate simply smirked. “You sly dog…” he said.

Hugh spared Nate a second of his gaze. “I was saving this for my match with you, but guess the cat's out.”

He then focused a hundred-and-ten percent of his fury on the battle. Aspertia shook from the quakes of his voice. “BRAVIARY, USE SUPER BRAVE BIRD!”

“What the—” Cheren blurted, but Braviary came upon Stoutland with the wrath of Zapdos. “Stoutland, Protect!”

The barrier met the bird head on, absorbing the full brunt of this incredibly powerful Brave Bird.

“Tch… think you can throw me off with an altered name?” Cheren scoffed. “Don't underestimate me. Stoutland, use Hyper Beam!”

But Stoutland did not obey.

“Stoutland!”

It could not obey.

In a sickening shatter that rang through the Lookout, the barrier succumbed to the overwhelming power of the bird's Superpower.

Rosa and Bianca looked horrified as Braviary's beak tore into Stoutland, and its talons followed for a mighty descending slug. Stoutland was driven in its entirety into the battlefield, setting off a violent tremor. Nate simply grinned, more excited than surprised.

Cheren stood there, shellshocked by the sight of Braviary towering over an unconscious Stoutland as the dust cleared.

He had lost utterly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A conclusive battle? Whaaaat?
> 
> That's right, I figured I owed you guys at least one of these xD All the battles before this one kept getting interrupted, and while the effect is funny, I'd rather not piss any of my readers off about it. Plus, it was interesting to consolidate battle styles, so I figured I'd kill any seeds of indecisiveness I may project.
> 
> With the meaty commentary out of the way, here's your team update!
> 
> Nate: Ray (Lucario) / Sabbath (Tepig)
> 
> Hugh: Braviary / Oshawott
> 
> Rosa: Percival (Serperior)
> 
> With that done, I'm gonna wrap things up for this update. Feedback is always welcome, as usual — your criticisms are what will help me improve in the end.
> 
> Wishing you all a great rest of the day!  
~ Ace ♤


	5. Ionisation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is probably extra long due to wrapping up the pilot arc and test run for this fic. I've decided I like it, and it shall continue indefinitely until all the material in the Gen 5 Games have been exhausted (Or life kicks my ass just hard enough, dunno which one will happen first).
> 
> That aside, I'd like to hear about what you guys would want to see in the future of this story. The way I write my stuff involves only a tiny margin of stockpile (I had written up to this point when I released the first chapter, but my mishap with password loss followed by laziness and life prevented constant updates), so things can always be tweaked in the future if the narrative allows for it.
> 
> With all that out of the way, enjoy the extra long update!

The impact of Superpower, or rather, _ Super Brave Bird _, rang across the Lookout, and the following silence asphyxiated the air brought forth by the fresh breeze. Stoutland laid unconscious in a crater created by Braviary, who breathed heavily while standing victorious.

“That's game,” Hugh grunted. “I win.”

“… I suppose you do,” Cheren sighed, retrieving his fallen partner into its pokéball. “You've improved, Beaumont. I remember you struggling to train Rufflet like it was yesterday.”

“Two years is ample time to change,” he nodded, recalling braviary as he receded from the earlier fury. “You were pretty messed up to the girl, but I suppose I should have blown up a little less…”

“No, I deserved some of that,” Cheren shook his head before looking to a still shocked Bianca. “Well? Let's hear it.”

Bianca's ears perked as she fully processed what had just happened. A blush crept up her face momentarily as she realised that expectant gazes were primed on her.

“R-Right! Stoutland is unable to battle! The winner is… Hugh!”

* * *

Rosa fell backwards onto her haunches as the battle concluded. Out of relief, she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“Whoa, you good?” Nate asked her, receiving only a nod in return.

“He… He won…” she said shakily, before a tear streaked down her left cheek. Her quest would not be invalidated.

While he had a jab in store for her, Nate decided to let the matter go with a sigh. “Yeah, I told you to trust him, didn’t I?”

Rosa looked up at him, but before she could say much, her eyes fell on the hand he held out.

“C’mon,” Nate said, “Let’s cash the deal in.”

* * *

Cheren pocketed his pokéball, not able to bring himself to meet Hugh’s gaze. In retrospect, handling this as a government official was far from the right thing to do; he knew Hilbert would have been ashamed of him. He could barely swallow his principals when he made the plan himself, after all.

“Cheren, lighten up,” Bianca said as she paced to his side. “Nothing happened in the end.”

Cheren gave her a dejected frown. “I almost failed him… over some stupid rules.”

“Almost, yeah?” she tilted her head. “We can make things right.”

“Listen to the ditz, prof,” Nate called with his trademark smirk. “Maybe you can spill why you’re acting like such an asshole, and we can let it slide.”

Rosa remained silent, and Cheren couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes specifically. Bianca couldn’t either, so Hugh stepped forward in both their steads.

“Now, I believe the deal was answers. Like Nate said, let’s hear ‘em.”

Cheren let out a sigh. “Hilbert Grant… my closest friend… is not on any sort of journey.”

None of them looked surprised. The bitterness in Bianca’s expression, in fact, only intensified. A distinct thickness overcame the air around them, a different kind of thickness from the tension before. This time, there was a solemn expression on Cheren’s face as he recalled the gruesome scene he had witnessed during the end of the fateful battle two years ago.

Hugh and Nate listened intently to their professor recounting the epic showdown between Hilbert and N, the King of Team Plasma, and how Ghetsis had come upon their reconciliation with a malicious sneak attack, how he had suffocated Reshiram in its moment of weakness, and how his assassins had thrown Hilbert into his own dragon, resulting in their combined transformation into the Light Stone which tumbled into the ravine of its own creation.

“… In the end, he was done in by Team Plasma.”

The silence this time was morbid.

“Ghetsis was clinically insane at this point, and the Shadow Triad disappeared along with him,” Cheren continued. “But… in order to preserve order across Unova, the Pokémon League fabricated the story of Hilbert’s Victory, and his forfeiting the Champion’s Title to continue traveling.” He looked at Rosa, whose eyes had been glazed over for the past minutes. “I… was a part of concealing this truth. For that, I’m truly sorry.”

“… You’re sorry?” Rosa whispered, before her watery eyes blazed. “You’re _ sorry _?”

Cheren recoiled.

“You declared him alive! You gave me hope!” she snarled. “You moved out without a word… you left me and Mom… _ his real Mom _ a sickly widow without a son! And for what? Some bureaucratic bullshit?!”

“Rosa…” Bianca mumbled, while Rosa broke down into tears and hysteria.

“Liars… you’re all liars! He’s not dead!” she roared, before stepping back. “He… he can’t be… he’s… the strongest…”

Rosa broke down into tears, because she knew her own denial was what sucked the purpose out of her entire life in a matter of seconds. Bianca rushed forward and held the quivering brunette, who had finally cracked after two harsh years of searching.

They cried together.

“His Pokémon remain in storage, and his ID and pokéballs are functional,” Cheren continued, more so addressing Nate and Hugh with a heavy heart. “The League’s trying to locate the Light Stone as we speak.”

“Tch… talk about fucked up,” Nate sighed. “Well, there's only one way to fix this mess of yours.”

Cheren raised a brow as Hugh stepped aside to make way for his friend, who knocked a crying Rosa on the visor. She gave him a surprised look with quivering lips.

“I don't even know your name right now, but quit crying,” he scoffed. “So your bro's stuck in a rock, big whoop. You going to sulk around in that backwater town of yours, or do you want to make a difference and find him?”

The brunette's visor shaded her leaking eyes, and her teeth ground together. “You… you don't know shit about what I've gone through! Why are you talking like you do?”

“You wanna put that theory to the test?” he shot back, mildly aggravated. “Really, tell me _ exactly _ how much you know about me.”

The silence dragged through the heavy air between the two as Rosa looked ready to punch Nate straight in the face. Through teeth that dusted one another and a scowl that looked like it could kill, however, the brunette let it all go with a sigh.

She really did not know anything about the boy, but something about the fire in his own eyes comforted her. It told her she had found a warped but kindred spirit, on a quest of his own.

Her voice shook, but the words were clear. “Rosa…”

“Eh?” Nate's head tilted.

“My name,” she said. “It's Rosa — Rosa Grant.”

Nate simply cracked a wry smile. “Cool name. I'm Nate. Nate Gray,” he extended a hand.

Rosa eyed it curiously, leading Hugh to step forward. “I'm Hugh Beaumont. It's good to meet you, Rosa.”

* * *

As the three began to break the ice, Bianca wiped her own tears away and joined Cheren. A weak chortle broke through the sorrowful reminiscence of her childhood friend's fate. “Wow, this sure brings back memories, huh?”

Cheren snapped out of his guilty daze. “Wha…?”

“The three of them, silly,” she chuckled. “They just met, but their battles told them everything they needed to know! It's wonderful what pokémon can do for you.”

“Oh… yeah, guess it is,” he said with a sour expression. “Sorry, Bianca, but I think I need some time for myself.”

“No,” Bianca insisted. “What you need is a friend. Since Hilbert’s not here, though, I guess it’s up to me to make you realise: People make mistakes.

“You had the best intentions when you did what you did. Plus, it's not like you _ stopped _ searching for Hil!”

“Bianca…”

“Despite the league, the rules, despite _ everything _, you still found it in you to continue the search. It's… more than I can say about myself…” she sighed. “I really thought he was gone. I thought I'd never see him again, so… I kinda decided to continue living. For all our sakes.

“I… I didn't deserve that… not when he could still be out there, continuously suffering for all I know. If you really want to compare, I'm the one who can't be forgiven, right?”

“Don't you dare blame yourself,” Cheren muttered. “You had… _ have _ every right to move on with your life! You finally found purpose, you found what you wanted to do! Hilbert would never wish for you to leave that behind.”

Bianca smiled at his sudden outburst. For how calculative and serious Cheren was, it was refreshing to see him so moved emotionally. “Listen to your own advice.”

“Wha—”

“You found happiness too, Cheren,” she said. “You're teaching the trainers of the future and acting as a guide to challengers of the Pokémon League. After all the traveling, you found an answer to Alder's question.

“And you did it with your own power, unlike me, who got helped along the way… You really think Hilbert would expect you to sacrifice all that?”

“Listen to her go, prof!” Nate snickered with Rosa and Hugh by his side. “Where was this gusto when you handed Hugh his pokédex, huh?”

“I can't help but feel the debacle earlier was some spite move now,” Hugh smirked.

Bianca went beet red in the face. “Uhm… ah…”

“Well, it doesn't really matter now,” Nate shrugged. “What does matter is that Hugh and I are way behind schedule. It's almost time for lunch now. You two wanna join us?”

“Eh?” Bianca cocked her head. “Weren't you leaving today?”

“Change of plans happen,” Hugh said. “Now are you coming or not?”

“Um, sure! I'd love to!” the bubbly energy the blonde was giving off earlier suddenly surged back into her. “So, so, where are we off to? Some super duper tasty south-western awesome delicacy place?!”

“They're called restaurants,” Cheren groaned.

“Yeah that! I've never been to this part of Unova, so everything's super duper mega exciting!”

Without another word, she grabbed Nate and Hugh by the arms and dashed off ahead of everybody. The two boys' objections fell completely on deaf ears.

Cheren let out a sigh. “She really hasn't changed much.”

“Yeah,” Rosa nodded, before succumbing to silence that bred quite the awkward atmosphere between the two. “So… um…”

“I'm sorry, Rosa,” Cheren spoke. “For everything… I thought I could protect you by stopping your pursuit of the matter, but… maybe that was wrong. Maybe stifling your journey would do more harm.”

Rosa stared at him wide-eyed.

“… Yeah, I figured an apology wasn't enough.”

The brunette shook her head as tears welled up in her reflective, coffee brown eyes. “No, that's… that's not it.”

Cheren looked confused, but was quickly grabbed into a tight embrace. “Ack—”

“It's just that I haven't seen you in so long — I missed you so, _ so _ much!” The professor was taken aback as she pulled away and looked him in the eye. “I forgive you. You had your reasons, and you had assholes breathing down your neck.

“You were my brother's most dependable friend, Cheren. You'd never hurt me intentionally; it's not your nature, so cheer up, will ya?”

Her teary smile shone like a miniature Sun. Cheren didn't know what to say, and there wasn't much he could in the face of an expression as warm as hers. He felt it drain the weight from under his eyes, rejuvenating him with an expression he didn't know he needed to see.

Rosa might have lacked Hilbert's blood and sharp tongue, but his spirit was something that still walked with her.

He couldn't help but smile back. “Thank you.”

* * *

“You complete, utter ditz! _ How did you do this _?”

Bianca sweatdropped nervously as she beheld Nate's breakdown. Hugh looked equally annoyed, surveying the street they found themselves on. There were hardly any cars, and the asphalt looked worn, covered in moss.

“You got me lost… in my own fucking town!”

Hugh sighed. “I could see it with Nate, considering he's only been here a few years, but… even I don't recognise this street.”

“S-Sorry, guys… I just got a little excited,” Bianca squeaked. “But… this _ is _ weird. I really didn't think there'd be anywhere on this island you two wouldn't know.”

“Aspertia's a whole city, ma'am,” Hugh scoffed. “You can't expect us to have every nook and cranny memorised. That's unrealistic.”

“We were just at the Lookout!” Nate cried. “I would usually retrace my steps, but I'm freakin’ _ dizzy _ from all the sharp turns!”

Bianca could do little other than fumble apologetically on her words when Nate thought enough was enough and booted his XTransceiver contacts up. His face scrunched. “What the hell? No signal? But we're out in the open!”

“Odd…” Hugh said, having the same thing happen on his own XTransceiver. “Aspertia's supposed to have perfect reception.”

“What happened?” Bianca asked.

“No signal where you got us lost,” Nate grumbled. “How are you _ this _ bad at life?”

“I said I was sorry…” Bianca sighed.

“Whatever, we’ll just have to—”

An explosion drowned out the rest of his words, and from the back alley two streets down, a trainer was blown careening through the air, having been slammed by his own Klang. His pokémon’s gears ground into him brutally as the two slumped from the impact.

The three rushed over to this stranger’s side, and Hugh set him straight by the shoulders while Nate released his partner. Ray materialised in a flash, and the appendages behind its ears fluttered from its immediate exertion of aura. A snarl escaped the jackal as it backed away from the alleyway, which had been the source of the brutality.

“Hey, are you okay?” Hugh asked the limp trainer, before gritting his teeth. “No good… he’s out cold…”

“I’m not surprised,” Nate shot back, getting instantly in a defensive stance. “What the hell is something like that doing here?”

“No way…” Bianca gawked as she recognised what Nate and Ray were so guarded about. A spectral being with a humanoid torso floated before them. Wreathed in a grey shroud striated by haunting, golden patterns, it sized the three trainers up with a singular, watchful eye. “That’s… That’s a dusknoir. They’re not native to Unova at all!”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Nate growled. “These things are rare even in Sinnoh, and they aren’t good news at all.”

Hugh raised his pokédex without another word.

_ “Dusknoir, the Gripper Pokémon,” _ it read. _ “The antenna on its head captures radio waves from the world of spirits that command it to take people there. In some eastern belief systems, it is hailed as the Grim Reaper, shepherd to Houndour.” _

Dusknoir exuded an otherworldly pressure as screams of the damned escaped its slowly opening belly. The revenant winds it summoned with this simple motion chilled Nate to the bone, while Bianca’s teeth began to clatter.

“Wh-What’s it doing?” she cried. “Ohmygosh—”

But then, nothing happened.

Dusknoir shut its belly and simply regarded the three like they were specks of dirt on its shoe. Even when Ray had taken up a battle stance, the Gripper Pokémon scoffed before ascending skywards and jetting towards the horizon.

Hugh moved quickly to catch Nate mid-stagger, and the brunet held an expression of raw fear.

“Nate, get a grip. This isn’t like you,” he shuddered.

“Speak for yourself,” Nate said shakily. “That thing could’ve killed us… but it didn’t.”

Ray averted its gaze, almost like it was ashamed, while all its trainer could do was clench his fist.

“It didn’t think we were worth shit…”

“I w-wonder why it's here,” Bianca clattered, hugging herself with her jacket. Nate and Hugh marveled at her relatively unshaken expression. “It's super duper strong! I'd have loved to battle it ~”

“You…” Nate grumbled, before a beep distracted him. “What the—”

It came from his wrist, and then Hugh’s, and then Bianca’s own. All three had received an incoming call.

“I’ll get it!” Bianca said before answering, opening a four-way call between Lucille; Cheren and Rosa; and Professor Juniper herself.

“Where the hell are you guys?” Cheren asked. “I’ve been calling you for ages!”

* * *

“Cheren!” Bianca cried. “And Professor Juniper! You wouldn’t believe what just happened! We just saw a wild dusknoir!”

“A dusknoir?” Cheren didn’t buy it. “Out here? That can’t be wild. I know all the pokémon species you find here, and Dusknoir’s evolution line isn’t anywhere on the list.”

“Phooey,” Bianca frowned. “You sure know how to ruin the fun…”

“Cheren, Bianca, Lucille! Hello there!” Juniper’s eyes were gleaming at this point, and her tone of voice startled everyone but Lucille. “Cheren, you've grown into a fine young man, that you have. The League's rated your performance as nothing short of stellar!”

“I have you to thank, ma'am,” Cheren nodded.

“And Bianca! My lovely assistant — you did snap a picture of the specimen at least?”

Bianca’s expression fell further. “Sorry professor…”

“Well, it can’t be helped,” the professor sighed.

“Distracted, are we Aurea?” Lucille laughed. “And here I went through all the trouble of convincing Nate to accept the Dex.”

“I already thanked you for that,” Juniper puffed her cheeks.

“Well, to get back on track,” Cheren said. “We need to meet up, pronto. I have something to give Nate and Hugh. Oh, and Rosa too.”

“Something for me?” Rosa perked up. “What's that?”

“It'll be easier if the three of you assembled together.”

“Huh… okay then,” Rosa said, seemingly more starstruck at the screen.

“What's the matter, bunhead?” Nate smirked. “Got something on your nose?”

He received a scowl from her. “No, you ass. I'm simply honoured to be talking to _ the _ Professor Juniper! Her lab's where both me and my brother got our starters, and I've never been able to speak to her before this.”

“Then how'd you get your starter from her?”

“It was from her lab, not her personally!”

“Oh my, you must be Rosa,” Juniper chuckled at their energy. “I'm flattered that you hold me in such high regard. Hilbert could stand to learn a thing or two from you.”

Rosa's voice seemingly cracked a bit. “What are you talking about? My brother's absolutely perfect the way he is.”

Nate raised a brow. “Weirdo…”

She didn't hear him.

“Professor Juniper,” Hugh interjected. “You have my sincere gratitude for the pokédex. I'll be sure to fill it up to the best of my ability as thanks.”

“Nate,” Lucille scolded. “That's the first thing _ you _ should have said.”

Nate rolled his eyes, much to her annoyance. “Right, right, thanks a tonne, prof.”

“Ahaha, there's no issue. I can already tell that I made the right choices. And Hugh, you're a wonderful additional nominee from the looks of things—”

“Free labour,” Nate coughed, gaining a disapproving look from his mother while Juniper ignored him.

“— But above and beyond your pokédex and goals, I want each of you to cherish this time of your lives. Make the absolute best of your travels, and never forget to enjoy yourself alongside the pokémon you catch.”

The three nodded. “Yes ma'am!”

A sliver of pride showed itself in Lucille's grin, while Cheren and Bianca simply smiled nostalgically.

“Well, with that done,” Cheren said. “Please make your way to the Aspertia City Trainer School. We'll meet up in person at the gate.”

“Roger that, Cheren!” Bianca puffed her chest, now that their GPS was back online.

“I'll be looking forward to seeing you three in person sometime,” Juniper called. “Oh, and you too, Lucille. I may have found some free time!”

“Wonderful news, Aurea,” Lucille nodded. “But maybe we can discuss this in another call? The kids look impatient.”

“Of course, of course! Talk to you then!”

The call then came to a swift end.

* * *

High noon was upon Aspertia, and the Sun shone through the clouds at skyline's zenith. The sweltering heat mingled with the receding winter frost to create a soothing warmth that permeated through the island of south-west Unova. The Pokémon League logo above the opening arch of the Trainer School glistened in the sunlight, overseeing four distinct individuals biding their time in wait.

Cheren tapped his shoe on the asphalt to the tick of his wristwatch, while Lucille held Trisha Beaumont's hand.

“Thanks for picking me up, Aunt Lucille!” Trisha beamed upwards, eliciting a smile from the young woman.

“Please, call me Lucy. ‘Aunt’ just reminds me that I'm getting old.”

“But getting old is so cool! You get to do whatever you want!”

Lucille simply sighed at this, partly happy that Trisha still preserved some of her innocence. “The grass is always greener on the other side, Trisha. You’ll understand when you grow up yourself.”

“… Okay then…”

“What the hell is taking them so long?” Rosa grumbled to Cheren. “I mean I get the city’s big, but they couldn’t have run that far!”

Cheren sighed. “You don’t know Bianca like I do… I’m surprised they’re still on the island.”

“You’re kidding…”

“I wish,” he shook his head before glancing at his watch. “But they shouldn’t be too long now.”

“CHEREEEEEN!” came a call from the distance.

“There they are.”

Rosa turned to see Nate, Hugh and a sweating, panting Bianca running up to the school entrance. The poor blonde rested on Nate’s shoulder, much to the boy’s annoyance.

“Do you _ not _ wear perfume?” he grumbled, earning another disapproving look from his mother. “What? It’s the truth! She smells like she ran ten marathons!”

“I feel like I’ve run _ twenty _…” she gasped. “I… am… so… out of shape…”

“Where were you guys anyway?” Rosa asked.

Hugh shrugged. “No clue.”

“She somehow got us lost in our own city,” Nate shook his head. “I mean, how are you _ that _ bad at life?”

“And the dusknoir?” Cheren asked. “What happened with it?”

“Er… nothing. Nothing happened,” Nate’s tone rose an octave, surprising everyone sans Hugh. “Nothing happened at all—”

“Nate,” Lucille glared. “Is there something you need to tell us?”

“Ma’am, it really did just fly away.” Hugh said, causing Bianca to nod. Nate gave him a grateful sidelong glance.

Concerned as she was, Lucille let the matter go. “… Okay then.”

“So, Cheren,” Rosa called. “What was it you wanted to give us?”

“Yeah, you were super cryptic about it,” Nate agreed.

“Right,” Cheren took a deep breath before clearing his throat. A snap of his fingers brought Serena and Clyde — his trusted gym trainers and top students — forward.

“Hey, it’s the juniors,” Nate whistled. “How’ve you two been holding up?”

“We’re doing great!” Clyde said. “So Nate, Hugh, what’s the occasion? You ready for another match?”

“We won’t lose this time!” Serena grinned. “We’ve gotten a whole lot stronger!”

“Hey, are you guys Cheren’s students?” Rosa asked, earning a glare from them both.

“That’s _ professor _ Cheren to you!” Clyde growled.

“Nate, who is this bimbo?” Serena asked, earning a scowl from the brunette.

“Bimbo?” she growled, much to Nate and Hugh’s exasperation. “Put ‘em up, punks! I’d waste you on my worst day and your best!”

Cheren, however, broke up the escalation with a simple cough and a stern glare, causing Bianca to giggle. She never thought she’d see Cheren in such a position.

“Sorry Serena, Clyde, but these three won’t need to challenge the gym proper,” he said. “Because they’ve already earned their badges.”

“What?” All five of them asked in unison.

“Hugh’s the only one who beat you,” Nate protested.

“Wait, Hugh beat the professor?” Clyde asked, shocked.

“That’s amazing!” Serena chirped. “I mean… I think we may need more training on second thought…”

“Wait…” Rosa paused before looking incredulously at Cheren. “_ You’re _ the Aspertia Gym Leader? And you’re also a teacher who dresses like he’s about to collect taxes?”

Nate blocked Serena’s path, for she looked about ready to pounce on Rosa. Hugh did the same for Clyde.

The brunette herself remained oblivious, allowing Cheren his sigh. “You really challenged me without knowing that? You’re just like him…”

“Well I’m sorry — it never came up!” she puffed her cheeks before patting him on the shoulder. “Good job making Gym Leader, though! You definitely deserve it!”

“WHO ARE YOU?” Clyde and Serena growled in unison.

Cheren stepped forward. “Clyde, Serena, allow me to introduce my neighbour from Nuvema Town — this is Rosa.

“Please do try and get along,” he added.

Both of them examined Rosa closely with contemplative, critical expressions.

“What?” Rosa blurted. “Is there something on my face?”

“… I guess we’ll accept you if Professor Cheren says so…” Clyde muttered.

Serena agreed with him. Her concern instead lingered over Nate and Hugh. “Don’t either of you be taken in by her wiles! She looks like the type to trick you…”

“Hey! My challenge is still open!” Rosa snarled, but Nate simply shook his head.

“Don’t kid yourself, Seré. Bunhead here couldn’t con her way out of a paper bag, much less either of us.”

“Whose side are you on?”

Lucille could only sigh. There was no stopping Nate’s snark, no matter what she did, so she had long given up on scolding him for it. “Nate, dear, please restrain yourself a little.”

“Yeah, yeah, go easy on women. I know the drill.”

“Go easy?” Rosa scoffed. “May I remind you of our battle?”

“Which you almost lost?”

“Like hell I almost lost! _ You _ almost lost!”

Nate’s eyes narrowed. “You wanna go again to settle things?”

“Alright,” Hugh got in between them. “Break it up, and save your energy for the road. Professor Cheren isn’t done talking. And you two,” he looked at Serena and Clyde. “Don’t talk to your superior that way.”

“What?” Serena gasped. “She’s not our superior!”

He shook his head. “I’m the one who saw her fight… neither of you stand a chance.”

“Harsh,” Nate chimed, lounging into his hands. “Bu~ut not untrue ~”

Puffing her cheeks, Serena simply grumbled her way over to Clyde, who simply averted his gaze. Rosa could only smirk haughtily at the boys’ praise while Bianca continued to giggle at how heated Cheren’s expression had gotten. The man did not fancy interruption.

“… Anyway, to get back to the point, Serena and Clyde, please bring the victory items.”

“Yes sir…” they grumbled disapprovingly of Rosa, but complied. 

“Hey, I asked this earlier, but why are we all being treated as winners?” Nate raised a brow. “Hugh’s the only one who won.”

“Yeah,” Rosa added. “I wanna actually beat you first…”

“Gym badges aren’t necessarily proof of victory,” Cheren said. “They’re a sign of the Gym Leader’s approval.

“I saw what your battle did to the Lookout, and I have no doubt in my mind that Serperior and Lucario would crush this Gym as Braviary did its strongest pokémon.”

“Thanks, I think,” Nate shrugged.

“Hey, at least act excited,” Rosa grumbled.

“Why? I’m not _ shallow _.”

Clyde and Serena returned with a case in each of their hands, and Cheren took to speech before Rosa and Nate could break out into another fight.

“Also, please accept the Gym’s Technical Machine — TM19, Protect. It’s a highly advanced Barrier Technique that blocks any and all incoming moves, save for _ Feint _ and the fabled _ Shadow Force _—” Nate’s eyes narrowed. “—although it's highly unlikely you’ll ever encounter the latter.”

Clyde and Serena opened their cases, containing three Basic Badges and three discs respectively.

“The badges should increase your clearance as a trainer and give you access to locations that you would otherwise be blocked off from,” Cheren said. “Collecting more of them should help greatly on your quest.”

“You have all of them, don’t you Cheren?” asked Rosa, leading the professor to shake his head.

“I _ had _ all of them. Since Team Plasma attacked the League two years ago, however, Lenora, Brycen and the Striaton Trio retired from their posts. Their replacements are myself, Humilau City’s Marlon Shinoa, and Virbank City’s very own rockstar — Roxie Rockabella. I lack both their badges.”

“So I guess our next stop’s Virbank City, huh?” Hugh said, earning a nod from Rosa.

“Bunhead, didn’t you come from there?” Nate asked.

She tilted her head. “No, I flew in, remember?”

“Right, on someone else’s bird,” he smirked. “Because you were too stupid to catch your own.”

“Nate, apologise,” Lucille glared. “_ Now _.”

Nate looked at Rosa and his mother incredulously. “Really…? Fine, fine, I’m sorry for calling the idiot an idiot.”

Rosa’s temper flared at the comment, but the interaction that had just transpired only planted a smirk on her face. “So you’re a mama's boy. Interesting ~”

His eye twitched, and everybody broke out into laughter. Nate could only look to Hugh as if to ask, _ Really? _

“The comedy is in the truth to that, Nate,” Hugh said, much to Nate’s irritation.

“Alright, so maybe she’s not _ completely _ stupid…”

“In any case,” Cheren said. “I think it’ll be prudent if you set off tomorrow morning. It’s already late in the afternoon, and your pokémon all require healing.”

“Agreed,” Hugh nodded. “Take care, everybody.”

“Seeya, man,” Nate smirked.

“Rest well, Hugh!” Rosa waved.

“Goodbye,” Cheren said.

Bianca waved him goodbye. “Enjoy your Pokédex! Be sure to learn how to use it fully; it’s got a tonne of features ~”

Lucille nodded. “Please give your parents my regards, Hugh dear.”

Hugh waved the group goodbye. “Trisha, let’s go home.”

“Okay, Hugh!” she beamed, before looking to Nate. “Nate, I’ll see you off tomorrow morning!”

He beamed right back with a genuine smile. “It’s a deal.”

Rosa’s jaw dropped at the snappy teen showing such an expression to the child. Her eyes then hung on Hugh and Trisha, who had taken their leave from the group to return home, and a wave of melancholy overcame her.

She truly missed holding her brother’s hand like that. Clasping it, taking comfort in its warmth and strength.

“Hey, bunhead,” Nate snapped her out of her daze. “You all there?”

“Wha—”

“You can crash at my place tonight; we got an extra bed.”

Everyone sans Lucille looked surprised; even Rosa. Nate was the last person she expected this kind of charity from.

“What, you deaf or something? You don’t own a house here, do you?”

“N-No,” she stuttered. “B-But I can always book a room at the Center—”

“No, no,” Lucille sighed. “You needn’t be shy; I have a home cooked meal prepared and a bed done up for precisely this kind of situation.”

“But—”

“I insist,” Lucille said, and between her sweet expression and motherly tone, Rosa found it hard to decline.

“Good, I guess your accommodations have been settled,” Cheren nodded. “Bianca can stay at my place for tonight.”

“Wow, really?” she squealed. “It’ll be just like the sleepovers! Oh my gosh this’ll be sooooo much fun ~”

“Yes, yes, compose yourself,” sighed the professor.

“It’s settled then,” Nate nodded. “Now let’s jet. I’m starving!”

* * *

The clouds were dyed a sombre shade by the setting Sun as the infernos engulfing the ravaged Nature Preserve had receded to leave behind a charred wasteland. Trails and splatters of blood had dried off the parched earth, and the soil had turned brittle from the upheaval of the root network. Where trees laid felled, homes had been shattered, and the very foundation of the Preserve’s ecosystem had been crushed.

A single man trudged through the desolation alongside his pokémon, his pristine, glossy shoes now caked with mud and guts. His hair was a murky blue, gelled into flowy spikes that whipped about in the breeze. Azure pupils took in the scene, repulsed by the prospect of the very existence of a catalyst to this scene. The man was dressed prim and proper in a black suit with faded maroon highlights at his collar, sleeves and trouser tips. His golden scarf danced in the wind as he advanced steadily alongside a short yet fierce looking pokémon which looked covered in an armour of crimson plates and faded blades — a razor-tipped helmet and forearms that akin to spiked gauntlets polished to a silver sheen.

“Tch…” the man gritted his teeth as he stepped over a charred arm. “I don’t quite fancy the new champion, Bisharp… the old man would’ve sent Marshal for this sort of dredgy grunt work.”

His partner, Bisharp, gave him affirmation in its silence.

“Yes, yes, I know what the implications of such an incident are… but come now, little old me? What could my expertise possibly offer to this travesty of a wasteland? Dark-types aren’t _ all _ about evil, death and destruction, you know?”

A grunt escaped Bisharp, and it stopped in its tracks. Its trainer did not seem mindful of this, however, for before them was a treacherous drop off a cliff.

“One does wonder, though… who could possibly have done this?” he drew a shimmering golden coin from under his sleeve before allowing it to dance masterfully between his fingers. “Wild Pokémon…? Perhaps, but out of what inclination?

“Maybe it was a group of rogue trainers… a training exercise gone too far?”

Bisharp held out a peculiar piece of technology; a PDA with an antenna which held a series of waveforms graphing various environmental diagnostics. The man’s eye was sharp.

“No… the pokémon here are all too formidable. Even a member of the Elite Four would have trouble recreating this sort of hellscape…”

The graphs on the device spiked at particular points when scanning the electromagnetic field of the Preserve. Data showed a plot that had been going on for three hours — the totality of time this man had spent here. The Geiger–Müller readings were going haywire too.

“I suppose the numbers don’t add up in the slightest…” he fiddled with the coin before catching it between his index and middle fingers and placing its glow directly against the sunset. The coin turned almost crystalline, with a reflective arc surreally wide. “If I were a gambling man… ho hum… I would pin this on terrorism ~”

The golden shine of the coin against the Sun guided Bisharp’s sightline as it threw the device aside. Its pitch black eyes gave way to a crimson bloodlust, and the blades covering its body began shimmering with a maddening aura.

Spectral slicers of darkness shot forth from Bisharp’s body, but they were parried expertly by a mirror of attacks that ripped the air asunder. Bisharp moved in front of its trainer into an immediate defensive stance as the smoke cleared to reveal three men wreathed in the night to come. Their silver hair stood on edge, and their cold eyes glared daggers at the mysterious trainer.

“Grimsley of the Elite Four…” the shadow in the middle spoke. “Detecting us is an impressive feat…”

“… Even for a trainer of your standing.” the shadow to the right completed his sentence.

“You’re the Shadow Triad, if I read my reports correctly,” Grimsley held a knowing grin as three pawniards appeared before Bisharp. “Ghetsis’ most loyal dogs… I’ll take this as confirmation that Team Plasma was involved with this incident.”

“You would be mistaken, then,” the third shadow said with a sneer. “Although the perpetrator is formidable, he is not one of us.”

“Yes, of course; I’ll take _ organised criminals _ on their words,” Grimsley chuckled. “Sorry, but incompetence isn’t what got me where I am, gentlemen.”

Bisharp lunged forward, and within minutes, it had cut straight through the three pawniard. The pawniard vanished into shadowy illusions, and suddenly, six of them had appeared.

“Hmph,” one of the shadows scoffed. “It seems your detection of us was but a fluke.”

“Was it, now?”

Grimsley’s knowing expression was unnerving, and sure enough, the pawniard dissipated all at once, and the reality of the situation unwound before their eyes. Bisharp’s fist was embedded deep within the gut of the real enemy. Its fur was grey, and it sported a mane of hair that ran red like blood.

The zoroark immediately dropped to its knees coughing, and even the eldest triad in the middle could not hide the twitch of his eye.

“I suppose you’ll call that a fluke as well…” shaking his head, Grimsley looked upwards at an even higher ridge. An exasperated sigh escaped him. “Honestly, it’s people like you that give Dark-type trainers a bad name.”

The second illusion came undone, and the Zoroark hacking up blood dissipated too. Looming over Grimsley, the Shadow Triad cast cold emerald glares, uncannily vitriolic.

“Grimsley… we will remember this affront…”

“… But despite all your prowess, you will report nought but falsity, we fear…”

“… For the perpetrator is not of Plasma. This is the whole truth, your beliefs be damned.”

Grimsley simply chuckled at this. “I suppose I spoke too soon about her, eh Bisharp?” Bisharp glowered at the Zoroark, who returned the malicious gaze. “She was right… I _ am _ the perfect one for this job. It just got a whole lot more interesting.

“I probably won’t get an answer, but I’m done playing it close to the chest. Tell me… what is Team Plasma trying to accomplish here? You were already crushed and splintered two years back.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong,” said the shadow in the middle. “N’s assault… the castle… were all mere baptism by flame.”

“The weak links in plasma were burnt away, and those faint of heart were extricated from the greater vision.”

“Thus… we were not crushed, but reborn…”

They then spoke in unison, as though hallowing the land. “Mark our words, we will rise with a vengeance, and we _ will _ achieve our goals.”

The triad vanished, leaving Grimsley alone in the building mist under fresh moonlight.

“What a class act…” Grimsley scoffed. “I guess we got what we were looking for. We’re done here.”

Feeling the night set in, the Dark-type master trudged on towards the runway, where the plane back to Unova awaited him.

* * *

P2 Laboratory was most ominous under the full moon, when the supercomputer’s processors hummed behind the shifting shadows of the data it churned. A lone laboratory on a lone island, isolated at Unova’s southern coast; even such a place comprised its own machine. The wild Klang and Magneton formed the power grid for the megaprocessor, which in turn kept them fed on electrical discharge through a carefully crafted algorithm that allowed the two species to exist in perfect balance. The electricity Magneton devoured surged into their magnetic field, which in turn spun the Klang, thereby generating further electricity.

Today, Colress had witnessed this natural harmony, and its beauty enamoured him.

“To think that Team Plasma was involved in the creation of such a marvelous system…” he shook his head. “All wasted by the megalomania of one man…”

With a sigh, the blond scientist moved towards the supercomputer, having left the guardian Porygon-Z unconscious on the floor. Above him was the looming figure of his trusted Magnezone.

“Now… let’s see what you were working on in the middle of nowhere, shall we?”

Colress took to the computer console like he had been using it his whole life. Various security measures — which were set in place to evade even league detection — simply could not stand in the face of his superior technological prowess. He understood the data like it was the language of his very soul, and took on the code like it were a puzzle he was leisurely typing away at.

“My, my,” smirked Colress. “Naughty, naughty Team Plasma… leave it to these fools to abandon such a project. What a waste.”

Before him was a three-dimensional hologram of a mysterious creature — a being not of this world — the construction of an idea yet to be conceived. Still, the potential to this being exceeded anything Colress had ever seen.

“So, you fancy Project Genesect, do you?” a voice rang through the laboratory, causing Colress to turn. His expression did not shift. “You’re rather composed for a burglar. I must say, your audacity is exactly as reported… I like it.”

Colress did not say a single word, opting instead to shut off the holographic display.

“No, no, don’t let me stop you. Your amusement is… how should I say… _ amusing _in its own right.”

“You _ would _observe the scientist,” Colress scoffed. “You’re hardly one who should speak of audacity… Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius.”

The sound of the maniac’s staff hitting the ground rang through the empty laboratory. The shuttered window filtered rays of moonlight in, and as Ghetsis took his forward steps, the grid of light elucidated his form in all its glory. The ghastly pattern of crimson eyes over his grey cloak, and the morbid secret hidden by a bloodstained eyepiece, they were all laid bare for Colress to behold.

And yet, the scientist did not so much as give out a step.

Magnezone floated menacingly by his side, its magnets spinning to channel a lethal electrical charge.

“You’re resourceful, Colress,” Ghetsis said. “Not many have called my full name as a mere afterthought.”

“What can I say? Worn relics should stay buried in the sand.”

“Cheeky,” Ghetsis ground his teeth, and the knuckles on his staff were white. Against all odds, however, he curbed his fury. “But really, I’m not here to fight you. No… in fact, I’m here to do the opposite.”

“Hoh?” Colress raised an arm, and Magnezone ceased its hostile charge. “Negotiations with you… to think I’d see the day.”

“I think you know what it is I’m offering.”

“I also know how implications can be, Ghetsis.”

“Hrn… you certainly aren’t making this easy…” Ghetsis sighed. “Colress, your strength and your scientific genius… to be clear, I want them for the sake of Team Plasma. It’ll be a lot more beneficial to have you on our side than not.”

“Go on…”

“So, in exchange for the renewal of Project Genesect, I want you to act as the leader of Team Plasma — the new King! Together, you and I will bring out the ultimate potential of the ultimate pokémon!” His sneer remained a palpable, demented construct. “What say you, scientist? Let’s hear your answer ~”

Colress’ expression remained stoic, calculating; he worked out the various possibilities that would stem from this decision, and it was a slow, long and painful process. But eventually, he arrived at an answer, and Ghetsis’ grin grew more and more malicious.

This was a turning point in the history of Unova.

* * *

Shimmering moonlight entered Nathan Gray’s room through the shuttered window, and the rays kept both him and Rosa awake. It had been a wholesome day of relaxation; Rosa had found out that Mrs. Gray used to work as a nurse at various Pokémon Centers, so both Ray and Percival had received premium care at home. For the trainers, it had been an eventful lunch and dinner at the dining table; she had played various multiplayer games on Nate’s console, won some, lost some, and tied at least thrice; the two were neck in neck, and while they had bonded over the course of the day, Rosa felt almost empty when thinking about her new friend.

She wondered how an entire day of time spent left her knowing Nate about as much as she had before she met him.

Maybe she knew something about his quirks, his habits, mannerisms, and other such minor details, but when it came to what made him tick, what his goals and aspirations were, and most of all, why he had even moved forward to help her, she could draw nothing but blanks.

On top of this, the boy had been guarded. He was crafty, cunning, and knew inside and out how to manipulate conversations. Over the course of the entire day, Rosa hadn’t even gotten the chance to ask him about these things.

She let out a sigh, and on cue, his voice chimed from the bunk bed above hers. “What’s up, bunhead? Can’t sleep?”

Rosa frowned. “… You’re never dropping that name, are you?”

“Mmm… nope.”

“Whatever…” she grumbled “Yeah, I guess I can’t sleep.”

“And why’s that?”

“I dunno…” her face heated up from embarrassment. “Butterflies, I guess…”

“Whoa,” Nate snickered. “What happened to being on the road for two whole years?”

“Sh-Shut up… I just found my first clue and it's that my brother's trapped inside a goddamn rock!”

Nate poked his head out from his bunk, peering directly at a Rosa who was tucked right into her blanket. “Wow, you really _ are _ nervous, huh?”

She averted her gaze with puffed cheeks.

“Alright, alright, relax,” he chuckled. “I’m just teasing. If I’m being one-hundred, though… I’m not exactly zen about tomorrow either.”

She blinked, confused. “You’re not?”

“Nope. I’m absolutely shaking.”

Rosa didn’t know what to make of this. He still seemed so much calmer than her. 

“… I’m a planner, Rosa,” he said. “I plan out every move, every breath I take, and every joule of energy I use every second of the day, but… honestly? I don’t know what the future holds.

“And… that terrifies the shit out of me.”

Rosa’s brows rose. “Are you…?”

“What I’m saying is that it’s okay to be nervous,” he let go of the rail, somersaulting with grace onto his feet as he dropped to the ground. “But you’ve got just the one life. Make sure to enjoy yourself regardless of what happens, or you’re doing everyone who loves you the biggest disservice this side of history.”

Her jaw dropped, mostly from how comforting she found his words. Everything from his posture to his tone was a deathly calm, even when he so genuinely spoke of his own terror about the future.

She sat up on the bed, pushing the blanket away. “Wait—” she asked as he moved towards the door. “Where are you going?”

“Me?” he turned momentarily. “I’m hungry—”

Her eye twitched, and everything about his inspiring speech came crashing down. “Really now…?”

“I’m about to raid the fridge. You wanna come with?”

She thought about it for a moment. Really, there were so many things ethically wrong with cleaning out the fridge of a complete stranger, especially when they had provided her roof for the night. Then, Nate’s words struck their chord.

She only had the one life, so she would be damn sure to enjoy it.

On top of this, she _ was _ hungry. Her nerves calmed and her breathing stable, she simply flashed him a grin under the moonlight.

“Dibs on the chocolate ~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s not really much to say here. I can only hope you enjoyed the chapter and what it may imply. I’m honestly extremely grateful for the support it took to hit five-hundred views before I dropped this particular chapter. Shows that the story’s worth writing even at the lowest creative points.
> 
> There’s not a single change to the teams, so I think I can skip the team update.
> 
> I hope I can continue to impress and garner further support. I’ll end this off by wishing you the best of luck in your future endeavours.  
~ Ace ♤


	6. The Journey Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s something hilarious about taking six chapters for a Chapter 1 styled title like this, but sue me — I’m terribad with names. I’d also like to preface that the high octane action will be back soon, but we need chapters like this one too. Personally enjoyed fleshing out and consolidating certain characters, hinting at future stuff, and all that jazz.
> 
> In any case, hope you guys enjoy the chapter!  
~ Ace ♤

Shutters filtered the morning into the room, drawing a sleepy groan from Rosa. On cue, her XTransceiver blared the alarm to wake up, ringing the most jarring of tunes. Her eyes were forced open, and her agitated hand flailed around the bedside desk.

“Ugh… I’m up! I’m  _ up _ !” she slammed down on the Transceiver, silencing it before getting out from under the sheets.

At first, Rosa didn’t realise exactly where she was, but the lingering flavour of dark chocolate and the bits of it still around her mouth brought the memories rushing back.

“I'm at Nate's place—” she blurted, having remembered the entirety of the previous day, and the night when they hit the boy’s fridge. A sense of guilt churned in her stomach, but the following silence dissolved it in curiosity. She blinked twice before getting off the bed and tip-toeing to peer at the top bunk. “… Nate?”

The boy was gone.

Chalking it up to Nate being an early riser (Rosa saw him as the type), she shrugged before hitting the shower. Once she was freshened up and changed into her travel wear, which Mrs. Gray had so graciously washed for her, she descended into the ground floor of the House.

“Good morning, Mrs. Gray!” she chirped with a smile. “Thanks for letting me stay over!”

“Don’t mention it,” Lucille waved from the Kitchen, dressed in an apron while preparing breakfast. “I’m just happy Nate made another friend. He’s only ever brought Hugh over for the night before.”

“Is that a fact…?” she definitely didn’t take Nate for such a loner. “Speaking of, do you know where I can find him?”

“Oh, probably in the backyard. Daily morning routine for that boy; he’s had it since we lived in Veilstone.”

This brought Rosa back to their mealtime conversations, where she had learnt that this entire family had, in fact, immigrated from the Sinnoh Region. With a soft sigh, Rosa nodded. “I’ll go meet up with him, then.”

“Don’t go too far! Breakfast will be ready soon!”

“Roger that, Mrs. Gray,” the door shut behind her.

* * *

The brunette’s jaw dropped when she witnessed the veritable dust cloud Nate backflipped out of. An energy staff thrust at his head from the shadows, and the boy narrowly avoided attacks sure to decapitate him. Leaping into counterplay, he brandished a pair of escrima sticks before parrying blinding swipes with expert precision. The brunet was wearing only his tight suit, allowing for maximum mobility while outlining his toned figure.

Nate grunted as he caught Ray’s downward swipe in a cross of his sticks before sliding down the staff. The lucario was nimble, however, and it quickly disengaged the weapon before planting a hard kick in the boy’s stomach. Nate gagged, having been sent flying into the wall. Ray then stood over him with a staff pointed at his neck.

“I yield—” he said, and Ray instantly dissipated the staff. Nate laughed. “Man, that was a good round.”

His partner grunted in agreement.

“You… are you two okay?” Rosa asked, which caused trainer and lucario to turn.

“Oh, heya bunhead!” Nate smiled. “You’re finally up, and it looks like you saw me get creamed.”

“Yeah…” she said. “Anything broken?”

“Nah, I’ve taken worse,” he shrugged it off.

Though shocked, she supposed it was something his own mother seemed to shrug off as a routine, so Rosa saw little point in berating him. She walked up and offered him a hand he graciously took.

“So, you sleep well?” Nate asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “What about you?”

“It’s my house. Of course I slept like a baby.”

“Sure, after gorging yourself.” 

“Like you were any better, fatty… Mom’s gonna have to restock the chocolate.”

“It was your— hey! I’m not fat!”

“Sure you’re not,” he chuckled. “That poor Unfezant was out of breath yesterday.”

She puffed her cheeks. “Guess Lenora’s bird was just weak.” 

“Or you’re just fat,” he chimed, earning a sharp elbow to his chest; the boy looked flabbergasted, clearly not expecting a slim girl like Rosa to pack that much power.

“Whatever…” the brunette grumbled. “Although, this whole fighting your pokémon thing… are you really okay? That looked painful.”

“Quit your nagging,” he coughed. “ _ You _ did more damage…”

Ray seemed to take her side with its glare, clearly offended at being compared to a teenage girl in striking strength. Rosa simply grew more indignant. “I’m serious, though! Only crazy people fight their own pokémon!”

“Guess I’m crazy,” he shrugged, earning him a glare before a sigh from her.

“Whatever… Mrs. Gray said to get back in the house. Breakfast is ready.”

“Ooh! Is it pancakes? My Mom’s pancakes are the  _ best _ .”

She rolled her eyes, as she had no answer to the question, so the three returned home.

* * *

Hugh’s intense gaze stayed on his fully packed bag, which he had assessed the contents of six times the night prior, and four times after awakening early to prepare breakfast for the family. Unpacked and repacked, he confirmed his stock of revives, potions, status items, a travel journal, a few pens, his sleeping bag, and his precious pokédex.

“Excited to leave us, are you son?” came a gruff voice from behind him.

Hugh turned with a smile to greet his father, who had just returned from his morning run. The built man wore a drenched tank top and matching black shorts, and he held a proud smile on his face.

“Good morning, father.”

His father nodded. “Good morning. I see you’re fully prepared.”

“I’ve seen to stocking everything properly.”

“That’s good,” he nodded. “Your eyes are good too.”

“Of course they are, Kai,” chimed a voice from behind him, before Hugh’s mother hugged her husband. “He’s got my eyes, after all.”

“Good morning, Nora,” Kai smiled. “You’re taking our son’s sudden departure surprisingly well.”

“I always knew the day would come, I guess,” she sighed. “Our Hugh isn’t the type to stay in this city forever.”

Kai nodded. “The life experience of a journey… you’ll never forget it, Hugh.”

“I don’t plan to,” Hugh nodded with an intense edge to his voice. “I’ll grow stronger and stronger… stronger than anything you’ve ever seen. And then…”

He didn’t need to complete the sentence for a sadness to overcome his mother’s face. His clenched fists were enough. Kai, however, stood unmoved by his son’s drive.

“Son…” he said. “I know you understand this, but I’ll repeat myself,

“Once you walk out of that door, you’ll become a man. Whatever decisions you make will become your own.  _ That  _ is ownership.

“Know that when you own your decisions, you own their consequences too.”

Hugh nodded silently.

“Good,” Kai smiled. “Also know this: Your parents will support you no matter what kind of decisions you make.”

“We’ll always love you, dear,” Nora said solemnly. “So please… don’t overdo it out there. Also be sure to call home from time to time.”

“I will, Mom,” he said with a warm smile before hoisting his backpack onto his shoulders. “Well, I’m going to meet Nate in front of the Pokémon Center.”

“Stay safe, Hugh,” Kai nodded. “And give it your all, whatever you decide to do.”

“Do come back and visit from time to time,” Nora added. “Things will get lonely without you.”

“Roger that, Mom, Dad,” he hugged them both. “I’ll beat every Gym in this region and compete in the League. Then, I’ll make you proud!”

Kai pulled away from the embrace. “Good. Then I’ll be sure to train for your return. We’ll have ourselves a grand match then.”

Nora, however, held her son a bit longer before drinking in his face for the last time in person before he departed. While sadness laced her eyes, it was mixed in with pride. Hugh was growing into a fine young man. “Remember above all else… enjoy your journey. You’ll never get these years of your life back.”

“Will do,” he nodded, and she planted a kiss on his forehead.

With the farewells done, Hugh shut the door behind him before taking in the fresh morning breeze. Rosa was a mystery, but he was sure Nate had been awake for a while.  _ Heh… guess I’ll see you at the Center. _

Hugh dashed towards the north.

* * *

Nate let out a shameless burp before lounging back in his chair, having slipped into his travel wear before the meal. His plate was wiped clean, and his hand rested on his tummy. “Ah man, that hit the spot ~”

“… You’re disgusting,” said Rosa, before ignoring his retort in favour of addressing his mother. “But Nate wasn’t kidding! These are the greatest pancakes I’ve ever tasted!”

Lucille gave her a warm smile. “Why, thank you. It’s nothing special though.”

“Your pancakes are something bunhead and I agree on,” Nate said. “So that makes ‘em pretty special, Mom.”

“Agreed!” Rosa nodded, eliciting giggles from the older brunette.

“I can only hope you didn’t over-eat, in that case. Stitches on your first day would be terrible,” said Lucille, clearing out the plates before proceeding to the kitchen for dishwashing.

“I dunno about Nate, but I exercise self-control.”

“Bullshit,” Nate coughed, earning a sidelong glare from Rosa. “See? Can’t even control the eyes ~”

“And you can’t control your mouth!”

“You’re making this way too easy, friend.”

“Well that’s just how— wait what?” she tilted her head.

“What?”

“No, like, what’d you just call me?”

“Uhh,” Nate raised a brow. “Bunhead? Fatty? Friend? Which time?”

What would usually have set the girl’s short fuse off only left her wide-eyed.

“The hell?” Nate asked, lounging into interlocked fingers. “Is there something on my face?”

“N-No…” her voice trailed before she looked at the table. She didn’t have too many friends, and she didn’t feel like she had done much to earn anything resembling a friendship with this borderline stranger, even if he had let her stay over. “You… do you really mean that?”

“The first one? Yeah. Second one, I dunno, not really, maybe? Yes to the third.”

Rosa gulped. “Thanks… I guess we’re friends then.”

“That’s what I just said,” he chuckled. “Now are you done stuffing your face? We’ve got a random white rock to find.”

“Wait,  _ we _ …?” she asked. “You’re helping me?”

“Wasn’t this established yesterday?” Nate stroked his chin. “Like twice?”

“Why?” she blurted. “Why are you helping me so much? What’s your angle here?”

They shared a moment of silence, eyes locked in a fierce exchange of reads. Nate had to admit the girl was sharper than he gave her credit for; she was far from naive. After ten long seconds, the boy relented his gaze and averted his eyes with a shrug.

“I feel like it, I guess. Got nothing better to do other than catch every ‘mon I see. Besides, we’re both taking on all the gyms anyway; I need the clearance to get at the tougher areas, so let’s call it mutually beneficial.”

“You…”

“Plus, you’re kind of a cool person,” he said nonchalantly, surprising her. “Strong, independant, and your heart’s in the right place. No real reason  _ not _ to help you.”

“I… you…” a lump formed in Rosa’s throat. She was completely lost for words, leading Nate into a comforting smile.

“I think you’re looking for ‘Thank you, Nate.’ ~”

Her breath was shaky, but filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Nate.”

“‘You’re absolutely amazing, Nate!’”

She frowned. “Don’t push it.”

“Aw, would’ve been cute coming from you.”

“Only thing coming from me next is a knuckle sandwich, you asshole,” she grumbled, but the two then laughed it off. “No, but seriously, thanks… for all this, after I was such a jerk to you and Hugh.”

“Oh? Is that an admission of guilt?”

She bit her lip. “It’s an apology! Can’t you be  _ purely  _ nice for once?”

“At that point, would it  _ really  _ be me?” he blinked innocently.

“Yes! Yes it would!”

Before they could squabble further, Lucille walked back to the dining table, having washed her face and deposited her apron in the Kitchen. “Well, kids, are you ready to leave? Got all your bags packed?”

“Yes ma’am!” they said in unison. Lucille smiled at this; it was a slightly sad smile, for she was going to be parting with her son within the hour.

The three shut the door behind them, setting their sights on the Pokémon Center.

* * *

Cheren stood by the shining morning rays, engrossed deeply in a call from the high rise balcony of his apartment. Situated on the twenty-fifth storey with a polished mahogany floor, it caught a gentle updraft of the spring breeze. The professor was dressed in casual clothes — blue trousers alongside a half-sleeved, white shirt and sneakers for home wear. The single spiked bang of his hair fluttered in the wind as he peered at the XTransceiver.

“… So your intelligence points at the Ranch?”

_ “Indeed it does,” _ the voice on the other end was haughty yet worn, oozing the experience of a fulfilling life.  _ “Although… you’re sure about this? You do realise the implications of being even remotely connected to this kind of activity by non-certified trainers?” _

“Don’t worry so much. I assessed the risks and came to this conclusion after much forethought,” Cheren said. “Your words to me back then… they make a lot more sense now.”

_ “… You’ve finally found a calling for the power you’ve gained, have you?” _

“You were always one who believed in trusting in the next generation. Let’s say I’ve internalised that,” he sighed. “I trust these three; they may not quite be a generation away, but two of them were my students, and one of them…” his pause was bitter. “I owe her a debt I can’t put into words.”

_ “How big of you… You know, I kinda miss the little upstart you used to be!” _

“I guess I decided to grow up.”

_ “Good, good, but that doesn’t mean you can grow old quite yet! Hah hah hah!” _ the voice bellowed before the man on the other end smiled wearily.  _ “The winds of change… I didn’t think I’d feel them so quickly once again.” _

“The times are picking up the pace,” Cheren chuckled. “The world’s never waited for the complacent. I can’t do much from my position, but going forward, I’ll support these three any way I can.”

_ “Then I suppose that’ll be my cue. You’re sending them this way, aren’t you?” _

“Yes, I am.”

_ “Whoa ho ho! Then these next few days ought to be grand!” _ he bellowed.  _ “Don’t worry yourself too much. Focus on your duties as Gym Leader and leave the next step to me.” _

Cheren cracked a smile at this. It was one of relief. “… Thank you, Alder.”

_ “No need to mention it. Best take care now!” _

Their call ended there, leaving Cheren to ponder in silence the magnitude of his decisions within the last few hours. Every move he made in this direction was risking everything built over the past few years. One misstep, and he would compromise the last thing Hilbert had left.

His martyrdom.

Even with the warmth melting the night away, Cheren felt a chill at the prospect of failure. For the first time in years, he felt a swirling void of doubt at the pit of his stomach. His fingers clasped the railing until his knuckles were white.

Suddenly, the cold washed away. He found upon his shoulders an orange jacket, and a comforting, familiar scent of lavender. His goosebumps receded with a shudder as he was joined by Bianca.

“You seemed awfully cold,” she said softly. “Was that Alder?”

Cheren let out a sigh and nodded. “Yep.”

“It's good that you can talk to him like this,” she joined his side at the railing, leaning forward to drink in the city. “Everything's so beautiful here, Cheren… I'm a teeny bit jealous.”

Cheren raised a brow. “Really now? I figured someone who travels like you do would find this mundane.”

“That's not true,” she shook her head. “The view might be an everyday thing, but I'm talking about taking responsibility for it. You're doing a super awesome job, and you got here with your own power!”

Cheren averted his gaze dejectedly. “It's something held over my head, now.”

She looked him dead in the eye, initially drinking his face in, as she had the city before. He had grown a whole head taller than her, and his eyes had long since grown out of the brash, headstrong glint which saw the squabbles with Hilbert as anything past a rivalry from childhood.

“Cheren, what's gotten you so shaken?”

“It's the League,” he hissed. “It's always been the League… they have me in a deadlock! For all my talk of growing up, I'm bound and helpless… forced to the sideline in the search for my own friend!

“I hate this… this  _ powerlessness _ ,” he gritted his teeth. “What kind of worthless Gym Leader can't save a single friend?”

_ SMACK! _

Even the winds went mum when Bianca slapped Cheren right across the face. Tears were welling up in her eyes as Cheren’s expression was flat, stuck in a state of shock.

“Stop… stop putting yourself down like that!” she squeaked. “You’re amazing! You’ve done way better things than I have… so… so if  _ you’re _ powerless, what does that make me? What would that make Hil or the professor? You ever think of that, you big-brained, nerdy idiot?”

“Bianca…”

“You’re doing everything you can!” she said. “So quit acting inadequate! You need to be strong,” her face was red from how angry she had gotten. “If not for me… for Rosa. For Hilbert. For Mrs. Grant back in Nuvema…”

Cheren averted his gaze, but his confidence came rushing back. Of course, he wasn’t out of the picture yet. He wasn’t directly involved in it anymore, no, that was the old Cheren; the veteran trainer who traveled Unova with a power-hungry, bullheaded impulse.

Now, he was painting the picture, weaving a path for those who  _ could _ make a difference outside the constraints of the system. He exhaled, letting relief and warmth course through him once more. A few blinks, and a spark of the old flame reignited within eyes which had been dead since the previous day.

“… You’re right,” he said. “I’m sorry for making you go through that.”

Bianca’s face lit up in an instant. Cheren always admired that about her — how she could summon forth that positive energy like it was flipping a switch. Even compared to the rising Sun, her smile shone almost blindingly.

Cheren then rubbed his cheek with an annoyed look. “Although… did you really need to smack this ‘big-brained, nerdy idiot’ that hard?”

Bianca flushed in panic, now that she had lost her intensity. “W-Well, I guess I got c-caught up in the moment —” she stuttered. “Sorry…”

Cheren grinned wryly. “I’m joking. On a serious note, thanks. I both deserved and needed that.”

“Well, as long as I’m able to help!” she smiled again as Cheren handed her jacket back to her.

“By the way,” he said. “Where’d you get the perfume? I love it.”

“Wha— I—” she flustered, and her voice shook. “It’s… ladies’ perfume, Cheren.”

“Well, I wanted to see if they sell an incense or something,” Cheren shrugged, not really noticing his friend’s discomfort. “You know, for the house? It’s aromatically lacking.”

“O-Oh…” she vigorously shook her head to clear her thoughts. Of course he meant for the house, she thought. Because that’s what normally goes through someone’s mind when they pose such a question.

Deciding it was time to get ready for the kids’ departure, both Cheren and Bianca headed back into the apartment to prepare.

* * *

A tall yet slim young man stood in wait before Aspertia City's Pokémon Center. Although greeted with strange expressions from the occasional passersby, he did not return the gesture, for he was too engrossed in staring down two pokéballs gripped tightly in his hands. His crimson eyes left an intense aura within the gaze he planted on them, filling them with hopes and expectations of grandeur.

Beginning anew felt strange to Hugh. With his inventory sorted and his goodbyes concluded, there was little left other than moving out. A surreal chill ran down his spine as he embraced the new chapter in his life. His fists clenched together, and he let out a frosted breath when looking at both the pokéballs now in his palms.

Together, him and his pokémon would rise to the very top of Unova.

“Yo! Hugh!” a familiar voice cut into his brood. “What's up, my man?”

Hugh turned to smile at an approaching Nate, and they clapped palms before bumping shoulders.

“Good morning, Nate,” he had put his pokéballs away.

Nate rolled his eyes. “Nothing wrong with actually showing excitement once in a while.”

“He's right, y'know!” came another voice, more feminine and distant. “You could do with being a little outspoken!”

Joining the meetup were both Nate's mother Lucille, and Rosa — the girl from the previous day. She looked happier; an effect Hugh deduced to have come from a night over with Nate and Lucille. In fact, both her and Nate looked to be brimming with energy.

“Good morning to you too,” Hugh nodded. “Guess we’ll be traveling as a trio, then.”

“Yup!” Nate nodded. “It’ll be fun ~ plus, bustin’ down Virbank Gym’s doors sounds funny.”

“Please don’t be that arrogant in front of Roxie,” another familiar voice called, followed by both Cheren and Bianca joining them from the School Lane. “She’s a formidable Poison-type expert. Rosa especially will have her work cut out for her, seeing as Serperior is her only pokémon.”

“Cheren!” Rosa beamed, rushing up to greet him. “You sleep well? How’s Stoutland doing?” her chipper attitude and suffocating positivity drew a giggle from Bianca. “Oh, and have you been eating at all? You look like a stick!”

“I tell my class this, but please, one question at a time,” Cheren sighed, choosing not to dignify any of the questions. “Plus, you’re hardly my caretaker.”

“Yeah, bunhead,” Nate chuckled. “Don’t need to be his Mom all of a sudden.”

Rosa pouted. “I just haven’t seen him in a while…”

“He’s really changed,” mused Bianca. “You should have seen what a hothead he was during our journey!”

Cheren rolled his eyes as they all had a good laugh at his expense.

Lucille cracked a smile at these exchanges, but her expression towards her laughing son held a subtle twinge of regret. “You kids are brimming with energy. I hope you’ll have lots of fun on your journey.”

“We will, Mom,” Nate said. “And don’t worry — I’ll be sure to eat my meals on time, call regularly, and even wash my clothes daily!”

Lucille’s jaw dropped, causing her son to smirk knowingly.

“What, you thought I was gonna let you mom  _ me _ ?”

“W-Well, I won’t get to do it for a while,” she sighed. “But Nate, above all else, please stay safe.”

Nate noted his mother clutch her sleeve in anxiety, and without another thought, he wrapped his arms around her. The woman shivered before letting a single tear flow. “I’ll miss you, Mom, but you know why I need to do this.”

“Yes, I do,” she eventually returned the embrace tightly.

Rosa simply watched with a sombre smile as Nate poured every last bit of his affection into the embrace before pulling away. Seeing the boy being genuine was always refreshing. Hugh joined her alongside Cheren and Bianca.

Once Nate pulled away, Cheren stepped forward, deciding it was time for his own briefing. “You three are about to embark on a special quest. Your directive is to find and retrieve the vessel to the legendary Reshiram.

“The Light Stone was kicked into a fault in the Earth, and its current location is all but lost to us. While the League has active search parties, we’re keeping the resource usage from our political representatives to minimise intelligence leaks. Because of this, the results have been… suboptimal.”

“Lemme guess,” Rosa said with narrow eyes. “Mass panic from an intel leak?”

Cheren did not answer, but affirmation and guilt clutched his expression. Bianca took over.

“The point, though, is that you three are part of the best shot we’ve got,” she said. “I’ve decided to search independently too, but you’ll be the biggest part of the effort to find Hil!”

“So this Light Stone,” Hugh interjected. “How do we know we’ve found it? From what I heard and read, it’s just a white rock.”

“You’ll know,” Cheren said. “The Pokédexes each of you possess can scan the stone. As Hilbert was once the owner to Reshiram, his Pokédex has added the dragon’s data to our main database. Scanning the rock should give you the entry for Reshiram, the Vast White Pokémon.”

“I’m assuming you’ve got no leads for us,” Nate sighed. “I mean, it’s just one white rock,  _ somewhere _ in this entire country, right?”

Rosa’s expression fell, but Cheren could only smirk. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

The three listened intently.

“A trusted contact of mine has intelligence pointing to Floccesy Ranch. They’re apparently housing a mysterious white stone which gives off a strange energy. His own investigation couldn’t go too deep, however, as the Ranch is tied closely to the Pokémon League on the side of its Mart. Alerting the League about this would be… unfavourable to us.”

“So this is why you need  _ us _ to go do the dirty work,” Nate said. “Gotcha.”

Rosa glared at him. “It’s not dirty work!”

“Of course it isn’t.”

“Moving on,” Hugh growled. “Who’s this contact of yours? Where do we meet him?”

“See, that’s just it,” Cheren shook his head. “He’s an eccentric man who insisted he’d meet you on your own terms. As annoying as it is, I’m choosing to respect his wishes. Just know that he plans to meet you at Floccesy Town; right before the Ranch.”

“Wow, this guy sounds annoying,” Nate rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I think we’ve lost enough time. Let’s hit the road.”

Rosa’s expression grew determined. “Alright then, let’s go!”

“Agreed,” said Hugh, before he turned to Mrs. Gray. “Ma’am, I think it’s time for us to leave.”

Lucille sighed. “Of course. Take care, you three. And please, watch over my son.”

“Mom, please,” Nate laughed. “I’m the one aboutta watch over them. Well, mostly bunhead.”

“Hey!” Rosa gritted her teeth. “I’m  _ right _ here!”

“Mhmm.”

Hugh got in front of a Rosa ready to slug Nate, while Cheren and Bianca simply smiled at the sight. It really was nostalgic to them.

“Anyway, before you go,” Cheren said. “I have something for all three of you.”

He removed three chips from his pocket, each a different colour. They seemingly matched the three trainers’ respective XTransceivers.

“What’re those?” Nate asked.

“These chips are updates to your XTransceivers. They’re C-Gear Modules.”

“What’s a C-Gear?” Rosa asked. “I mean, it sounds cool, but I’ve never heard of it…”

Cheren nodded. “The C-Gear is a pivotal part of research into the Unovan Dream World, and a parallel plane of reality known as the Entralink. The research itself is headed by Professor Fennel — an esteemed batchmate to Professor Juniper.”

“Oh!” Lucille beamed. “Fennel’s here in Unova? That’s wonderful!”

“Oh yeah, you’re also a batchmate, right Mrs. Gray?” Bianca asked, causing Lucille to nod. “Professor Fennel’s super duper nice! She’s based in Striaton City and runs this amazing research on Musharna’s Dream Mist! Cheren, Hil and I helped her out with the original C-Gears a couple years back, but she’s really come a long way since then!”

“It’s great that she’s doing well,” Lucille nodded. “I suppose I should give her a call later. We fell out of touch, and I feel really bad about it.”

“I’ll give you her number!”

While Bianca and Lucille fiddled with their XTransceivers, Rosa, Hugh and Nate accepted the chips before inserting them into their own XTransceivers.

Nate raised a brow. “And this has something to do with our mission… how exactly?”

Rosa and Hugh seemed equally confused.

“It has no direct role, as connection to the Entralink is still a mystery to us,” Cheren said. “But diagnostic data will be passively recorded while you sleep and view dreams. It’s a favour we’re doing to the Professor.”

“I suppose there’s no harm in it,” Hugh shrugged. “All we gotta do is sleep, right?”

“Correct, Hugh. You’ve grown a lot sharper indeed.”

“He did kick your ass,” Nate pointed out, earning a sharp elbow from a disapproving Rosa. “Ow! What the hell? It’s true!”

“Ignore him,” Rosa said before bowing. “Thanks for all your help, Cheren! I won’t forget it!”

Cheren gave an awkward smile. “Please, raise your head,” he said. “I… I’m only making up for my earlier conduct.”

“Professor Cheren apologising for being a prick?” Nate chuckled. “What about when you gave us that hellish holiday assignment, prof?”

Ignoring him again, Rosa rose and shook her head. “I forgave you for that already. You had your reasons.”

Cheren didn’t know what to say.

“Besides, I hardly understood anything about this gear thingy, but I trust you ~”

Nate looked at her incredulously. “You’re kidding, right? It wasn’t even that complicated.”

“Was for me,” she shrugged. “Anyway, how about we get a move on? The morning’ll slip away before we know it!”

“Seconded,” Hugh said. “I’m itching to check out the Ranch, too. I’ve heard they have a bunch of pokémon that’ll be useful to our dex.”

“Sounds like fun,” Nate smiled. “Let’s hit the Rice Fields, then!”

* * *

“Hey! Wait up!”

Rosa, Nate and Hugh turned at the gate to Route 19, confused at the sudden call. Hugh and Nate recognised the voice instantly.

Sifting through the crowds was none other than Trisha Beaumont, panting and wheezing as Nate rushed forward to support her. “Whoa! Trish, you good?”

Hugh’s eyes narrowed. “What’re you doing out here? It’s almost time for school!”

“Hey,” Rosa placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re about to leave on a journey. Ever think about how that might make her feel?”

After catching her breath, Trisha scowled at Hugh. “Yeah! Listen to her! I just wanna see you guys off!”

“Tch…” Hugh turned away, causing Nate to chuckle, partly so he could break the tense atmosphere.

“Well, Trish, thanks for coming all this way for us.”

“Anytime, Nate!” she beamed. “I promised to come see you off, remember? I always keep my promises!”

“And that’s wonderful, but you really should be headed to school…” Nate could feel Hugh breathing down his neck. “The prof hates tardy kids.”

“Don’t worry, Nate, I’ll make it back,” she said. “Besides, I didn’t come empty handed!” The brunette reached into her schoolbag before removing two capsules. “Here! For you and Hugh!”

“Whoa,” Rosa’s eyes widened. “Are those holo maps?”

“Mhm!” Trisha grinned. “Latest ones! My classmate’s Dad works at Devon Corp., so he managed to get these for me.” Her expression fell when addressing Rosa, though. “S-Sorry… I didn’t know you at the time. I would’ve gotten a third if I did.”

Rosa chuckled. “It’s alright — I’ll just share with Nate and Hugh. Really appreciate the gesture, though!”

Nate and Hugh had graciously accepted the maps, testing the 3D holograms out by fiddling with the tiny console on the palm-sized device.

“This is sweet, Trish,” Nate grinned. “Thanks a tonne!”

“I appreciate it, Trisha,” Hugh said, leading Nate to roll his eyes.

“C’mon, man, put some umph into it.”

Hugh raised his brow. “What are you expecting, exactly?”

“For you to learn one of these days,” Nate sighed. “Whatevs. The gift’s amazing, girl. It’ll be super useful.”

Trisha was smirking pridefully, but realised that time was of the essence. “W-Well, stay safe, you three! Remember to call regularly!”

“Roger that, Mom,” Nate chuckled.

“Run along, now. You might still make it in time,” Hugh said. “Extend our regards to the professor if you see him.”

“Take care, Trisha!” Rosa called.

With a nod, the little girl ran back towards the school at her usual breakneck pace. Nate let out another low whistle. “Man, Hugh, you got quite a runner there.”

“She kept Mother and Father on their toes,” he scoffed. “It got pretty annoying when I had to chase her though.”

“I dunno,” Rosa said. “You look pretty fit to me.”

“It came from somewhere, bunhead. Now you know where ~”

At this, she shrugged. “Well, in any case, we should move! We got a tonne of ground to cover!”

“Seconded.”

“Alright then,” Nate turned. “Floccesy Town it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter’s more of an interlude dealing with the main cast. We need these from time to time, y’know? To build character, let the details of the prior intense scenes sink in, and also keep things down to earth before the next big fuckfight (This story is rated T; I'm not censoring A/N swearing). Plus, buildup.
> 
> Don’t worry; more awesomeness incoming in the next chapters. Here’s the teams, though, even if nothing’s changed yet:
> 
> Nate: Ray (Lucario) / Sabbath (Tepig)
> 
> Hugh: Braviary / Oshawott
> 
> Rosa: Percival (Serperior)
> 
> As usual, have a great rest of the day!  
~ Ace ♤


	7. Unova's Greatest Trainer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did promise plot-heavy shit, so here we are! Character introductions are always fun ~ So without further ado, I present to you — the chapter!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!  
~ Ace ♤

The late morning brought springtime heat to Floccesy Town. The cliffside gate greeted three young trainers. A downcast Rosa walked in between her taller companions, both of whom were engrossed in their pokédex and map respectively.

“So we’re finally here!” Nate proclaimed. “Floccesy Town, possibly the most boring locale in Unova!”

“Don’t underestimate Accumula Town, Nate,” Hugh said.

“What, you’ve been to friggin’ Accumula?”

“A couple of times, before Grandfather moved to Aspertia too.”

Nate sighed. “The more you know, eh bunhead?” Rosa did not respond. “Bunhead?” he waved a hand in front of her. “C’mon, you all here?”

“What—” she growled. “—do you want?”

“Yeesh, just askin’ if you got all that. Why’re you biting my head off?”

“That’s getting increasingly tempting,” she scowled.

“Break it up, you two,” Hugh said. “Now, before we move into town, let’s compare Pokédexes I’ve personally caught all six species the Habitat List puts down as native pokémon.”

Rosa’s expression fell, while Nate’s grew nervous. Hugh raised a brow at this. 

“Don’t tell me… neither of you caught a single thing?”

“Uhhh,” Nate looked around for something to distract Hugh. Nothing came to mind. “I was trying to evolve Sabbath…? Kinda knocked out everything I came across—”

He sheepishly raised his pokédex to show how much Sabbath had grown. Six pokémon had been sighted in total as well, confirming his story.

Hugh then turned to Rosa. “And you… what’s  _ your _ excuse?”

“Um…” Rosa’s expression grew flustered.

* * *

_ An hour back… _

* * *

_ “Alright, Percival,” Rosa grinned. “We’re gonna catch every single thing we see! Duplicate or not!” _

_ The serperior roared in approval as the duo found themselves on a cliff, staring down an endless contour of grassy terrain. _

_ “Now to draw our food out,” she pointed forward. “Use Dragon Pulse!” _

_ Azure flames scorched the landscape, startling the many pokémon foraging through the grass. Patrat, Purrloin and Pidove came bouncing out, startled and enraged at the sudden assault upon their home. _

_ Percival continued to lay on the heat before singling out a Pidove at Rosa’s signal. _

_ “That one’s first! Coil around it!” _

_ Leaping at her command, Percival constricted the bird in a painful coiling grip, drawing pained cries from it. _

_ “Now into the air!” _

_ On cue, Percival launched the bird into the sky. Rosa drew her pokéball and hurled it. The sphere enlarged, but missed utterly. _

_ “Wha—” _

_ Pidove fell painfully to the ground, and Percival simply primed itself to strike again. It didn’t look like the bird could move beyond a twitch, though. _

_ “Alright then, again!” she threw another pokéball, completely missing her mark once more. “H-huh?” _

_ Percival shook its head as Rosa threw another, and another, and yet another, the spheres flying at crazy trajectories. _

_ By the end of the endeavour, Rosa was practically in tears. With pokéballs littering the grass and the pidove shaking its head before retreating into the greenery, she was left alone alongside her starter. _

_ “Percival…” her voice was a defeated whine. _

_ The serpent made the closest cry it could to a comforting sigh. Its tail gently ruffled her hair, slowly easing the fire back into her eyes. It was an almost vengeful flame. _

_ “Alright, that’s it!” she declared. “We’re gonna  _ ** _crush_ ** _ every single thing we see! Duplicate or not!”  _

* * *

_ Present time. _

* * *

“… You can’t aim a pokéball?” Hugh’s head tilted, all while Nate laughed uncontrollably. “So… in two years of travel, you didn’t catch a single pokémon?”

She felt her face heat up. “W-Well, I’ve never needed one!”

“Sure you didn’t,” Nate laughed. “ _ Percival’s _ the one who flew you to Aspertia, after all.”

“I—  _ you  _ didn’t catch anything either!”

“Yeah, but I trained my partner,” Nate shrugged. “What’d you accomplish?”

“I trained my partner too!”

“What, for a quarter level with how strong that thing is?”

Hugh sighed at the squabble between the two escalating further and further. This would be a long first day.

* * *

Sandals crunched into the cliffside above them, and a mysterious pair of eyes beheld Nate and Rosa squabble. Placing a foot on a rock, the peculiar boy eyed the unfolding debacle curiously.

“— For the record,  _ my _ starter would trounce yours!”

Nate scowled at this. “Of course! I literally just got Sabbath!”

“And the excuses just keep coming!” Rosa shot back. “He doesn’t look all that much stronger, if I’m honest. Were you training or goofing off?”

“How the hell would you know anything about his level?”

“I know he hasn’t evolved.  _ I _ evolved Percival into a servine on day one!”

“Well good for you —  _ I _ have a life!”

Hugh, who had been silent through all this, suddenly felt a jitter go down his body. He got in between the squabbling pair, casting both his friends sidelong glares to shut them up. Something had agitated him, and both of them could tell.

His crimson gaze speared the cliffside. “Alright, you… why don’t you quit ogling us and get down here?”

The redhead was taken aback. Had this kid with qwilfish hair just singled him out without a sightline?

“Hah…” said the boy, his voice oozing confidence. “You’ve got good instincts to sniff me out!”

Rosa and Nate’s jaws dropped when this wild boy with three pokéballs hung around his neck leapt off the cliff and landed soundly on the grass before them. His eyes were a vibrant shade of crimson, and his hair was a spiky explosion of red, highlighted orange in a backward blaze.

A mischievous grin formed on his face as he eyed Hugh in particular. “So, you’re the new hotshots who got the pokédexes from Juniper, eh?”

Hugh stepped forward, locking crimson gazes with the wild looking boy. “And what if we are? What’s it to you?”

“Oh, nothing,” the boy said playfully. “You just look like spoilt li’l city kids is all. Last thing I expected was for you to sense me.”

Rosa looked outraged. “Spoilt li’l city kids?”

“You don’t look all that seasoned yourself, midget,” Nate snapped, but Hugh raised a hand to stop his advance. “Oh come on, dude! He literally called us out!”

Ignoring him, Hugh maintained a leveled gaze at the stranger. “Let’s say I could smell the challenge. Now what do you want with us?”

“You’re the one who smelt it. What do you  _ think _ I want?” the boy looked unfazed by Nate’s jab, instead choosing to lounge into his hands. 

“Let me at him,” Rosa scowled. “You wanna challenge us, don’t you?”

“I dunno, sweet-cheeks,” he smirked. “You don’t quite look like you could take me on ~”

Rosa felt heat rise up her face, and Nate simply laughed along.

“Sweet-cheeks? Really, man? You’ve got  _ no _ taste.”

Nate swiftly ducked under the backhand Rosa aimed at his face. “UGH! Whose side are you on?”

“On the side of justice, bunhead. I thought that was clear ~”

“I’ll show you justice! Come here!”

The boy could only watch on puzzled as Nate proceeded to weave around Rosa’s attempts to strike at him with relative ease. Hugh stepped in front of the scene, however.

“Alright, if you tell me your name, I’ll accept your challenge.” Rosa and Nate froze mid-motion before widening their eyes at Hugh. He simply scoffed back at them. “You snooze, you lose.”

“Heh heh. I like you, Qwilfish.” He smirked and unhooked the third pokéball on his necklace. “The name’s Benga, and you’d better remember it… because I’m Unova’s Greatest Trainer!”

* * *

The aroma of freshly baked cookies wafted through the Floccesy Trainer School, which doubled as a residence to Alder — the former Champion of Unova. He hummed a low tune as he removed the fresh batch from the oven.

“Benga!” he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Get down here and help me out! It’s for the kids tomorrow!”

No response.

“Benga?”

“Mr. Alder, Mr. Alder!” came an adolescent voice before two children entered the kitchen.

“Seymour, Cassie!” Alder laughed haughtily. “What brings you here? School’s not on till tomorrow!”

“We love it here, Mr. Alder!” smiled Cassie. “Besides, Big Bro Benga said he’d teach us some awesome new moves for our pokémon!”

“But we can’t find him…” Seymour pouted.

“Now, now, Benga’s not the type to break a promise like that.” Alder comforted the boy. “I’m sure he just headed south. The boy absolutely loves Route 19!”

“You think so?” Cassie tilted her head.

“Of course! Now let’s go find that little rascal!”

He gently guided both kids out of the kitchen, leaving the cookies to cool in the springtime morning.

* * *

“Unova's Greatest Trainer?” Nate scoffed. “Sounds like it’d be on a dollar store T-shirt.”

Benga’s eyes narrowed. “Are you mocking me?”

“You make it easy ~”

“Enough, Nate,” Hugh said, before turning to Benga. “As for you… we need to get to Floccesy, so what say we get this over with? One on one, first to faint loses.”

“Cheh… right down to business with you, isn’t it?”

“I said we’re in a hurry.”

“Bah, fine,” Benga shrugged. “No round two when you’re flat on your ass, though.”

Hugh looked to Nate. “Hey, we need a ref.”

“What? But I wanna watch—”

“Tch…” 

“I’ll do it,” Rosa said, earning an incredulous look from Nate. “What? It looks pretty cool to do—”

“Fine,” Hugh scoffed, before locking eyes with Benga once more. “Well?”

Benga laughed. “Don’t look at me like that, I almost fell asleep myself!”

* * *

The two trainers left a good twenty feet between them. Rosa stood right in the middle, emulating what she had seen Bianca do. She raised a hand into the air.

“This will be a one versus one single battle between Hugh and Benga!” her nerves slackened as she continued doing this. “First pokémon to faint loses. With these conditions…

“Ready… START!”

Hugh and Benga drew their enlarged pokéballs and unleashed their ‘mons in unison.

“Oshawott, it’s time to unleash our rage!”

“Let’s torch ‘em, Sol!”

Oshawott drew its scalchop and clashed with a mysterious, multi-legged shadow. They both moved as a blur, sending sparks flying before they landed on the field.

“Whoa…” Nate raised his pokédex instantly. “What the hell is that thing?”

_ “Larvesta, the Torch Pokémon,” _ read the dex.  _ “Said to have been born from the sun, it spews fire from its horns and encases itself in a cocoon of flames when it evolves. The maximum temperature of its flames can exceed 5,500 degrees Fahrenheit. In ancient belief systems, these pokémon were thought to have nests on the Sun.” _

“That’s a powerful pokémon,” Hugh said.

Benga’s eyes sparkled. “Your Oshawott’s stronger than I thought it’d be… guess Juniper isn’t as flighty as I heard!”

“Hmph… Focus on the fight!” Hugh’s gaze intensified. “Larvesta’s a Fire-type… Oshawott, open with Water Gun!”

Sol was blasted head-on by the jet of water, much to everyone’s surprise.

“What?” Hugh gawked. “Why didn’t you dodge?”

Benga smirked. “That ain’t our style. Sol and I do everything with guts! Now shake it off, Sol!”

Sure enough, the Water Gun was mostly steam now, having evaporated from the bug’s intense heat. Sol glowered menacingly.

“Flare Blitz!”

Larvesta jetted towards the otter, wreathed in heat that carved the ground out. Hugh’s eyes widened in shock. “Get out of the way!”

Oshawott narrowly avoided the hit, and the boost it got from the sheer heat showed it would have been a fatal impact.

“Oshawott! Keep your distance, and ready your sword!”

“Sword?” Benga chuckled. “If that toy’s a sword, I’m champion of Unova! Sol, Acrobatics!”

Oshawott’s eyes gleamed in response to the flurry of motions. It drew its scalchop forth into combat, intercepting the sharp strikes of primed spikes. Interlocking blades chimed like Ho-oh’s bells as the two danced under the watchful eyes of their trainers.

Hugh’s eyes fell on the bending heat around his partner’s weapon. Calmly, he analysed the whirlwind that was the duel, while Benga simply got lost in the moment of adrenaline rushing through his system.

Sol landed on its forward foot before it began spinning viciously. Oshawott blocked three strikes within a breath before being blown back by a stray kick to its gut.

Benga smirked as his partner went in for another stab. “Gotcha ~”

“Don’t underestimate us,” Hugh grinned, as Oshawott’s intense expression did not waver. Its scalchop at the ready, it blew the incoming Sol away with an upward slice.

“Alright, tough guy, let’s see how you like gettin’  _ torched _ ! Sol, use Flare Blitz again!”

This time, Hugh and Oshawott were ready — “Parry upwards!” — and Benga’s expression turned from confident to horrified. The otter stood its ground against the intense attack, absorbing the brunt of it into the rounded end of the scalchop. Moisture pockets had formed around the base of the weapon, and the flames were sent shooting skywards, jettisoned by steam eruption.

Benga’s jaw dropped. “What the hell?”

Further, Nate’s eyes widened. “Did you just jack my play?” 

“Heh,” Hugh smirked. “Ray doesn’t have the monopoly on this style. I’ve wanted to try it for ages!”

Oshawott smirked as Sol felt its armour of flames blasted away by a miniature convection current. Moisture heated to its peak created a geyser of steam. Now it rained embers and sparks.

“Now finish it, Oshawott!” Hugh roared as Oshawott suspended Sol with a blunt strike and drew its weapon back. “Razor Shell!”

“Sol—!” cried Benga, but it was too late.

An azure blade flashed in and out of existence, and Oshawott reappeared five feet forward and sheathed its weapon. Sol fell forward, unconscious from the critical strike. The gash from Razor Shell only appeared now, carved painfully into the bug’s exoskeleton.

* * *

“Whoa…” Rosa gulped. “One shot…”

“Hey, bunhead!” Nate called. “Verdict. Now.”

“O-Oh, right— this battle is over! Sol, Larvesta, is unable to battle! The winner is… Hugh!”

Hugh smirked — “That’s game.” — while Oshawott folded its arms indifferently and Benga retrieved his pokémon with a sigh.

“Hot damn, I really slept on you guys. You all that strong?”

“Pretty much ~” Nate chimed. “Bet you feel pretty stupid now.”

Hugh stepped forward and extended a hand, and they shook. “That was a good fight. Your Larvesta’s powerful.”

“No kidding,” Rosa chimed in, joining the crowd. “Flare Blitz from something that small? Wouldn’t have seen it coming at all.”

Benga smiled at her, now discerning the brunette’s features a bit more. “I wouldn't have seen  _ you _ coming. You seeing someone?”

“I’m looking for my brother, yeah,” Rosa said, leading Benga into confusion and Nate into chortles.

“ _ What _ do you see in her?”

“A lot of things, man,” he said dreamily, leading Hugh to wipe his handshake hand on Nate’s shirt (much to the latter’s annoyance).

“Anyway,” Rosa said. “You headed to Floccesy too? We could go together if you are.”

“Yup! I’m there on vacation,” he said. “Livin’ temporarily with my gramps, who’s—”

“BENGAAAAA!” came a jolly bellow from the cliffside. Everyone looked up, and Benga sweat-dropped.

“— right where I was, apparently.”

* * *

“Whoa… that can’t be,” Rosa’s jaw anchored itself to the ground, while Nate and Hugh both discerned the figure leaning over the cliff. On his shoulders were two children — a boy and a girl — who looked like they were having the time of their lives.

Nate did a double take, and confirmed that Benga was the spitting image of this walking legend. Before them, laughing haughtily in all his glory, was the former Champion of the Unova Region.

Alder.

“W-Wait,” Rosa stammered. “You called him gramps? Gramps as in  _ Grandfather _ ?”

“Yu-huh,” Benga nodded. “He’s my big, goofy gramps. Watch him endanger children without a second thought.”

Alder took the leap downwards with both the children on his shoulders, much to everyone’s (sans Benga’s) horror. The children looked like they enjoyed it too, from their excited squeals, and the burly old man landed seamlessly on his feet before rising.

“Good morning, trainers!” he smiled. “Benga! There you are! Did you know you’ve kept poor Seymour and Cassie waiting? I found them at the house.”

“Yeah, big bro!” Seymour pouted. “You promised to train us!”

“You promised!” Cassie followed suit, causing Benga to sweat a little.

“Right, I did, didn’t I? Ahaha…” nervously, he knelt to address the angry children. “Sorry about that. Tell ya what, I’ll help train you right now!”

“How come all of you guys just shift gears when it comes to kids…?” Rosa couldn’t help but mumble her thoughts. It was inaudible next to Alder’s booming follow up.

“WHOA HO HO! How about it, young trainers? Why don’t you join us for lunch? The day’s getting on in hours, after all!”

Nate raised an arm. “I appreciate it, but we’re really not—”

“No, no, I insist! You’re Cheren’s kids, so allow me to show you the hospitality of good ol’ Floccesy,” Alder said almost knowingly. His smile simply glossed over the sudden shift in mood, for he knew he had what these children needed. “We can talk shop over my legendary cookies!”

“They really are legendary ~” Benga chimed. “C’mon! It’ll be fun!”

“Mm,” Hugh had been silent up to this point, moreso in reverence to the power Alder represented. To him, Alder had always been a beacon — a pillar of strength he aspired towards. Simply drinking the man’s image in through legends of his grandeur hardly compared to seeing him up close.

This was not what Hugh thought power would look like. Yet, he knew he would be a fool to discount this old man.

Rosa, on the other hand, could hardly contain her reverence. Her eyes sparkled like gold nuggets as she looked upon the jolly old man that had once been hailed as  _ champion _ . A peer to her brother. “We’d be absolutely honoured, Mr. Alder sir!”

Alder could only bellow laughter while Nate rolled his eyes, clearly outvoted. He seemed the least excited of the three. “You’re no Cynthia, but I guess I  _ am _ pretty hungry. Legendary Cookies don’t sound too bad.”

* * *

The Floccesy Trainer School saw its stadium occupied by Benga and the two kids, who were all hard at work training their pokémon. Seymour’s Panpour lay defeated while Cassie stood strong alongside her Pansear, going relentlessly at her opponent and his larvesta. Alder’s residence had never been livelier.

The man himself removed the second batch of cookies from the oven before placing them on the dining table, where the three weary travelers sat. Nate had made a full one-eighty with the first nibble of the cookie, and Rosa continued scarfing them down without a hint of modesty. Hugh could only scoff beside her before being taken in by the flavour melting into his own mouth.

“Hoho! It looks like they were to your liking,” laughed the old man.

“Thwese arw rheery goof! (These are really good)” said Rosa, leading Nate to roll his eyes.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full…”

Her eyebrow rose as she spat crumbs at him. “Wharf’s it th youf? (What’s it to you?)”

“What the hell did that kid even see in  _ you _ ?” he asked with a disgusted expression.

Ignoring his friends’ antics, Hugh decided to address the man at the table, who now sipped from his cup of herbal tea. “So, you’re the professor’s information source. Let’s hear what you have to say.”

“Cutting straight to the point, eh?” Alder asked. “Cheren wasn’t joking when he told me about that.”

“He’s not alone,” Nate cut in. “We’re all here for Floccesy Ranch. If intel points at the Stone in that backwater farm, then we’re going in today.”

Rosa nodded. “What he said. Any lead on my brother’s a lead we’re gonna take!”

After contemplative humming and peering into the eyes of the three earnest trainers, Alder relented the small talk. “Alright then, let’s start from the beginning.

“Now I want you to keep in mind that these are just rumours, but the Ranch recently imported a new batch of produce. Fresh seeds, livestock, and the entire package, but there was something else within this import.

“Security tightened up, and the owner even hired two additional guard dogs. The opening hours for the Ranch itself have been changed, and new signs against trespassers were erected.”

“Those are all weak premises,” Nate said. “What does this have to do with the Light Stone?”

“Oh, but if you’d let me finish,” the old man smiled. “You see, I went down to visit during the daytime hours.”

“And what’d you find?” asked Rosa.

With glittering eyes and a prideful expression, he said: “Absolutely nothing concrete!”

Rosa nearly choked on her cookie, leading Nate to her rescue with firm pats on the back.

“What do you mean by that?” Hugh asked with a glare

“I mean exactly what I said,” said Alder, unfazed. “There was nothing concrete to be found at daytime. Their security is top notch, and I can’t go around just forcing things.”

“But you’re the ex-champion,” Nate argued. “What the hell’s stopping you?”

“Power comes with a sense of responsibility, kiddo. Maybe you’ll understand someday,” he nodded. “It’s exactly because I’m the former champion that I can’t take part in the shadier activities. Like, oh, I don’t know, breaking and entering in the dead of night?”

The man winked mischievously.

Rosa had wanted to protest through her coughs, but the implications were clear even to her. Nate took the reins. “Heh, now why would we ever do something like that?”

“Absolutely no reason,” Hugh said with a smirk. “We’re law-abiding citizens after all.”

“Then it’s settled!” Rosa cheered. “We depart at sundown!”

“Maybe want a megaphone to announce that?” Nate rolled his eyes, leading Rosa to glare him down.

“Why do you gotta ruin  _ everything _ I try?”

“It’s hilarious, that’s why.”

“Yo, yo, so what’s this about sundown?” Benga called, entering the room after the training session. He pointed to Seymour and Cassie. “Oh yeah, gramps, you got some spare meds?”

Alder sighed. “Did you go and knock out their pokémon? I've told you to take it easy many times.”

“Horribly!” the kids said in unison. “But we learnt a lot! Our pokémon got a lot stronger too!”

“See?” Benga reasoned. “Nothing to worry about!” He turned to the three at the table while Alder left with the kids to treat their pokémon. “So, what’re you three planning now?”

“We’re headed to Floccesy Ranch,” Rosa said eagerly. “And we leave to—”

“Tomorrow morning,” Hugh said while Nate cupped her mouth. It earned him a sharp elbow in the ribs before Rosa realised the illegality of their upcoming acts.

Benga raised his brows at this, but made nothing further out of the matter. “Well ain’t that a shame. I’m leavin’ tonight!”

“Tonight?” Hugh asked.

“Well, in a couple of hours, actually,” he said. “I decided from our battle that I ain’t the greatest in Unova just yet.”

“Wow, no one before Hugh ever kicked you to the curb?” Nate tilted his head between coughs. “Makes me wish it’d been me now.”

Hugh ignored this. “So, where will you go?”

“Oh, I'm going places alright,” Benga smirked, also ignoring Nate. The brunet looked rather ticked about this, much to Rosa’s amusement. “You ever hear of the White Treehollow?”

“White Treehollow?”

“Yu-huh! It’s said to have insanely strong trainers! It’s at the deepest part of White Forest, east of Nimbasa City! I’m headed there to conquer the place.”

“Interesting,” Hugh nodded. “Then I wish you luck.”

“Tch… you don’t budge, do you?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Well you can be sure of this: I’m gonna conquer the Treehollow!” he declared. “And when I do, I want us to have our rematch.

“Get to the deepest level Hugh. I’ll be waiting there for you.”

Hugh blinked for a moment as their crimson eyes met to ignite sparks. It was an extended moment of silence, and right then, Hugh felt the incredible pressure coming off both of Benga’s remaining pokémon.

“HOHOHO!” Alder cut in, entering from the door. “Looks like you’ve found yourself a rival, young Hugh! I could feel that battle presence from way over at the front!” 

“Gramps?” Benga tilted his head. “Where’re the kids?”

“Don’t worry, Seymour and Cassie are with their parents. I managed to send them off,” he nodded. “They’re a handful, those two, but their hearts and desires to get stronger are pure. In time, they’ll be as formidable as the lot of you! Haha!”

“A couple of half pints like that?” Nate scoffed. “Maybe in a decade or five.”

“Overconfidence isn’t good, y’know?” Rosa reasoned. “Who knows? I certainly don’t; I didn’t even battle them.”

“Whatever,” Nate said. “We should get moving. Set up shop at the Center, get our pokémon healed, all that jazz.”

“Agreed,” Hugh said, smirking internally from having made a new rival.

“I guess this is where we part,” Benga nodded. “Forget a couple hours; I absolutely  _ need _ to face the trainers at the Treehollow now that I’ve said it!”

“Leaving so soon?” Alder asked. “Well that’s alright! I didn’t expect you to stay long anyway! I’m even out of food for the house! Whoa ho ho!”

“… That’s majorly fucked up,” Nate muttered, even if Benga didn’t seem to mind. The two were like mirror images, laughing as haughtily as that. It made sense that Benga was a formidable trainer.

As the redhead withdrew his larvesta and waved them goodbye, Nate tapped Hugh on the shoulder.

“Hm?”

“I don’t want you getting the wrong idea,” he smirked. “Just because you found a new rival, doesn’t mean you get to slack on me.”

“And me,” Rosa nodded. “We’ve yet to battle, right?”

Hugh let out a dry chuckle. “That’s right. Nate stole our fight, remember?”

“You don’t have to put it like that!” protested Nate.

Alder simply watched the three bond further. He could only reflect at the battle from two years back, when another brave trainer had stood up to a force that threatened all bonds like this one. Now, this bond had become that trainer’s last hope.

The winds of change were blowing indeed.

* * *

_ A few hours later... _

* * *

“My, my, aren’t you a cute little puppy?” cooed a tall man draped in a purple cloak. He squatted to pet the eager herdier that wagged to his smile. “Say, do you belong to anyone?”

As he stroked its head, footsteps rang through the locality of Floccesy Ranch, followed by worried bellows.

“Herdier! Herdier? Where’ve you run off to?”

The man raised his head as the Ranch Owner parted the foliage frantically, and his dog ran back to his side. The owner sighed, relieved, before patting it on the head.

“You little rascal!” he laughed. “I was gettin’ worried there; you really need to get a handle on runnin’ off on yer own like this.”

The cloaked man looked upon the touching reunion. “I must say, this is a wonderful place you have.”

“Why thank you, stranger,” the owner nodded before rising to greet his guest. “Although, it’s weird that yer here; I don’t recall you passin’ the gate by.”

“About that,” the man’s lips curled further. “I have… alternative modes of transport.”

Behind him was a gangplank, and beyond the cold steel digging into the earth was a mighty ship. Its hull shimmered in the morning Sun and its mast threatened to skewer the heavens. Monstrous spikes protruded from its sides, and they stroked the river to its standstill.

The owner gawked at the sheer size of this vessel. “Wha…? How? This side of the Ranch ain’t connected to the seas!”

“See, that’s just it,” the man smiled. “Today was supposed to be just a simple test for the beauty you see behind me, but me being me, well…

“I decided to kill two birds with one stone.”

Herdier had begun growling, but before it could fully turn, the man slammed a foot across its jaw, sending it bouncing across the grass.

“Herdier!” cried the owner, rushing to its side as it whimpered by a tree. He looked up with fearful eyes at this stranger, whose grin had turned from serene to feral.

“Make no mistake, friend, I’m not here on a leisurely voyage… You see, you have something we, Team Plasma, have been looking for desperately!”

“You… you’re those criminals from the news!” the owner snarled. “I won’t just let you—”

“I believe you will ~”

His voice held a deadly edge, as did the claw the owner suddenly felt at his throat. He froze in place as the ice cold touch of a weasel wreathed in shadow-like fur glimmered its gaze at him. Its crimson collar and frigid claws itched to draw blood, a feeling the poor owner could taste in their murderous twitches.

Four more gangplanks assailed the ranch, and men and women in black uniforms stormed the paradise with regimental precision. The local pokémon were scared out of their minds as Watchog and Liepard came in hordes like a small army from pokéballs.

Herdier and its trainer could only watch in horror as a small platoon of uniformed Plasma grunts assembled before the man.

“Lord Zinzolin, the raid team is in place,” said the commanding grunt. “We will proceed at your order!”

“Now isn’t this pleasant? You were a lot more efficient than I thought you would be ~ I suppose prudence dictates we proceed right now, but…” he looked at the quivering owner. “What say you? Got any confessions before I waste my time looking for the Light Stone?”

“L-Light Stone?” the owner asked. “I d-don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“Tsk tsk…” Zinzolin shook his head. “Wrong answer.”

A spectral arm burst forth from the ground, grabbing Herdier by its throat before raising it into the air. The mutt gagged as the air was choked out of it, and the phantasmal figure of a hulking, one-eyed ghost revealed itself. The owner could only watch with a claw to his throat as the mysterious ghost striated by golden patterns now gripped his dog by the face.

Zinzolin’s voice was airy, mocking. “Dusknoir, use Ice Punch.”

Herdier’s yelps were muffled as crystals of ice now began to suffocate it. It flailed its paws desperately in an attempt to get free, but the dusknoir’s grip remained ironclad.

Tears formed in the owner’s eyes, for he was too scared to move. He was helpless. “You… why? Why are you doing this?”

“Why indeed…” mused Zinzolin with a playful smile before looking to the grunt. “You… I think we’ll halt on the op.”

“Sir?”

“You heard me,” he smirked at the owner as Herdier ceased movement, its vision fading to black. “Put the ship in cloak mode, please. I want to have some fun today ~”

“All due respect, sir,” the Grunt stood his ground. “Lord Ghetsis’ orders were to—”

Zinzolin’s calm, playful eyes ignited in fury, and his soft voice froze to the bone. “Do you see Ghetsis here?”

The sage’s shadow grew longer yet, and his Grunt looked visibly afraid.

“Now, who do you think is in charge of this op?” growled Zinzolin.

“Y-You… sir…”

“Then step on it, you worthless piece of shit! I don’t like repeating myself!”

With a gulp, the grunt went off to command his squadron. Soon, the otherwise lively paradise for pokémon and passing trainers alike embraced the silence of a moonless night.

* * *

Traces of Winters past blew into frigid winds of the night where Nate stood at the Pokémon Center balcony. There was no moon to outline the dim lights of Floccesy, which shimmered like golden will’o the wisps in the infinite lacquer. His breath fogged his own silhouette and his eyes stared intently at the outgoing call on his XTransceiver. Within a few rings, a tired, feminine voice answered, but her video screen was black.

_ “Nate? Is that you?” _

“Heya, Hil!” he smiled. “Figured I’d check in on ya.”

_ “… It’s almost midnight…” _

He raised a brow. “I could’ve not bothered calling too, y’know?”

_ “I half wish you hadn’t,” _ groaned the girl.  _ “I was having a really nice dream too! _

_ “Wait… where are you exactly? That doesn’t look like your house.” _

Nate chuckled at this. “Of course not; I haven’t been home in an entire day. Decided to hit the road after our last call.”

_“Whoa, for real?”_ she sounded almost hopeful. “_How far out?”_

“Just at Floccesy for now, enjoying the midnight air. How are things on your end?”

The girl let out a tired sigh, seemingly shifting about in bed.  _ “Nothing concrete yet… I decided to sweep Eastern Unova, but nobody knows a damn thing.” _

“I suggest stopping with that kind of search. A new associate of mine tried; apparently did not end very well for her.”

_ “A girl?” _ her voice lit up.  _ “My, my, you’re moving along pretty fast.” _

“It’s a temporary arrangement,” Nate’s tone now matched the frigid air. “Our goals happen to align for now.”

There was a tense pause before she spoke.  _ “Well, it’s good that you’re making new friends. Hanging out with the same kid too much isn’t healthy, y’know?” _

“You don’t need to tell me,” he laughed. “What you need to do, though, is meet up at Nimbasa ASAP. Looking at things right now, I should be there within a month, tops. We can compare notes on Hilbert then.”

_ “A month from Floccesy to Nimbasa? That’s a pretty high bar.” _

“I don’t get distracted easily,” he replied. “Thought you knew that much.”

_ “It worries me sometimes,” _ her voice trailed.  _ “But if that’s how you feel, it’s a date!” _

“Pft, no it ain’t. I don’t date crusty fossils.”

_ “Well screw you too, Nate,” _ she drawled before softening her tone.  _ “Now have a good night. I’m about to call it myself.” _

“Alright then,” he nodded. “Sleep well.”

The line hung up, and as Nate turned to go back into his room and retrieve his travel bag, he met Hugh at the door. “Yo! What’s up?”

“Who were you talking to this late?” he asked.

Nate shrugged. “Oh, you know, a friend.”

Hugh’s brows rose, but he didn’t pry further. “Alright then. Get packed up; Rosa’s waiting downstairs.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he waved him off. “I’m already packed. It was a casual call.”

After hoisting his neatly packed bag over his shoulder, he joined Hugh on the way out. The next stop was Floccesy Ranch.

* * *

Thundering footfalls stormed through the grass, and black uniforms moved through the thick night’s veil. Deployed in formation, patrat, watchog and woobat converged upon a fleeing shadow desperately swerving off the beaten path.

Escape was imperative.

The feminine silhouette took a sharp turn around the arched entrance to the Ranch, her lillipup held closely to her chest. The puppy whined worriedly as she took refuge within a mighty tree’s shadow.

“Ssh—” panted the girl, lungs burning and fear evident in her eyes, as the troupe of grunts tramped past. Their woobat had taken to the skies while the predatory patrat and watchog sniffed around.

She felt her lillipup’s heartbeat amongst haggard breaths, and the dog itself looked up with concern at its owner. It had barely been an hour since their entire world had been turned on its head.

“Please… just stay quiet,” the girl whispered meekly. “If we’re safe… if we’re safe, maybe we can get help.”

Her whispers merely blew the flies off of dying hope. With quivering lips, she recalled the gruesome assault on her home; how these horrible people in black had come upon the Ranch and brutalised the pokémon with an invasive force.

“Mom… Dad…” her mumbles oozed despair, and it was her lillipup who nibbled at her curly blonde locks to comfort her. She managed a smile through her teary trembles. “… You’re right, there’s still hope. We’ll lose them, Lily, and then we’ll tell the townsfolk everything!”

“Tell ‘em everything about  _ what _ , girl?”

Her blood went cold as the black uniforms loomed like shadows risen from the ground. The woman who had addressed her leered with gleaming eyes, beckoning forth the woobat that had given her position away.

The blonde was outnumbered, outgunned, and shaking as her voice wouldn’t come out. She wanted to scream for her precious Lily to run. Perhaps it could get away. Perhaps it could find shelter in the Town, away from this madness.

Lily snarled at the looming grunts before sinking its teeth into the girl’s arm. She let it go with a yelp, allowing it to tackle one of the grunts’ patrats away.

_ “Lily!” _ her voice didn’t come.  _ “Run—” _

Their masks covered the grunts’ grins as their pokémon came upon poor Lily. The pup stood no chance against the relentless assault, battered black and blue to a visceral bleed.

A watchog kicked into its guts as it struggled to rise.

“Please…” trembled the girl as she clawed at the grunt’s foot. “Stop! We’ll come quietly, so please, just stop!”

With a disgusted glare, the grunt kicked the poor girl into the tree before stomping into her stomach. “It’s filthy scumbags like you who rejected our glorious liberation of pokémon before! You dare beg for mercy now?”

The girl coughed and gasped for air.

“If you had listened, we wouldn’t be here!” howled another grunt. “And your pokémon wouldn’t be suffering like this!”

“In the end, this is all your fault,” a third sneered before looking upon the poor Lillipup hoisted up by one of their watchog. “Patrat, Confuse Ray!”

Lily’s growls turned to frenzied howls of agony as its mind was torn apart by the patrat’s eyes. Lights flashed at various frequencies across its pupils, and the pup had begun foaming at the mouth while subjected to an epileptic breakdown of its nerves. It was having a seizure.

The grunts laughed as a collective while the poor girl could only watch helplessly, pinned to the tree at her stomach by a painful boot.

“Lily… no, please… somebody…” she gasped as her voice came back. “SOMEBODY HE—ELP!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot will not stop thickening. Hope I don’t regret that :P
> 
> In other news, I want to spread the word of plagiarism. Recently, I found out that the stories of my good friend on fanfiction.net, grey0716, were stolen and reposted on a different website as someone else’s work. I can’t stress enough how incredibly scummy plagiarism is, so I urge all of you to spread awareness of the problem and properly report any incidents you may witness to the original content creators. Getting your hard work stolen is the absolute worst thing.
> 
> I also urge all of you reading this to go over to my friend’s page and show your support ^^ he lost hundreds of views to this skullduggery.
> 
> As a final noteworthy point, I’d like to inform you all that I’m not doing too hot in terms of pre-production. I can’t guarantee the same rate of release now that publication is catching up with ffn. I’m going to be taking some time to write out a few more chapters so that you guys can have more on-schedule content. You can think of this as a inter-season/inter-arc break :) If contacting me is urgent, you can find my email address, discord tag and twitter handle on my profile; I’m pretty responsive, especially to the latter two.
> 
> Now that we’re done with the heavy shit, here’s the team update! Everything’s exactly the same as before:
> 
> Nate: Ray (Lucario) / Sabbath (Tepig)
> 
> Hugh: Braviary / Oshawott
> 
> Rosa: Percival (Serperior)
> 
> Don’t worry, the teams will be getting their upgrades soon enough.
> 
> I reiterate that I’m extremely grateful for all your support! It’s a seriously good motivator to keep writing. Have a great rest of the day!  
~ Ace ♤


	8. Winter on the Horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta wrap stuff up with this (slightly shorter) update, though, so let’s let ‘er rip, shall we?
> 
> Enjoy!  
~ Ace ♤

_ “SOMEBODY HE—ELP!” _

The bloodcurdling scream pierced the suffocating veil of the moonless night, instantly perking Rosa’s ears. She blinked in horror. “You two hear that?”

“That doesn’t sound good,” concluded Hugh.

“Nope, and I  _ seriously _ doubt that’s a movie shoot,” Nate’s eyes narrowed. “We should approach from three sides, cut off any escape. I’ll draw up a plan for us—”

“There’s no time!” Rosa roared. “I’m going, so you can keep standing there, or help!”

Neither of them could get a word out before the brunette dashed off. Nate reached out to no avail. “That idiot! We can’t just— it’s the dead of night!”

“No time, Nate. I’m going in.”

Nate look utterly betrayed. “Oh come on! Not you too!”

But Hugh was gone along with Rosa, leading Nate to grumble curses before he dashed after them.

* * *

“Percival, use Dragon Pulse!”

Rosa’s voice cut into midnight, and the dim scene of the lillipup’s torture was set alight in an azure blaze. The patrat was stricken directly by the mighty blast and knocked straight into a plasma grunt. The others turned in panic to meet a mighty emerald tail. Two watchog lunged to intercept the strike, but were blown away instead.

The grunts used the opportunity to pedal back and assess their new assailant. Their woobat regrouped in the sky, but their Air Cutter attacks were sliced apart by a metallic tail.

The blonde farmer shivered as she crawled towards her unconscious lillipup, being far too focused on her pet’s health to notice her saviour. Percival had coiled into a position primed to strike, and Rosa joined its side within seconds.

“Who the hell are you?” one of the Plasma grunts roared.

“That’s my line,” Rosa snapped back. “What were you creeps doing to this girl?”

At this, one of the female grunts stepped forward, unfazed by the power on display. Her woobat drifted to a hover beside her. “Why, simply enacting our directive, of course. That one’s an escapee, and we’re under orders to  _ deal  _ with those.” She licked her lips. “Now, do you  _ actually  _ think  _ you _ can take us all on by yourself?

“You’re horribly outnumbered, not to mention the difference in firepower. If you run now and promise to stay quiet, we’re willing to be merciful ~”

Her sneering tone and chilling, dead eyes sent a shiver down the fourteen-year-old’s spine, but Percival’s snarling battlecry brought confidence back to Rosa. She stepped forward in between the grunts and the farmer girl with a decisive stance and curling lips.

“I can’t argue with your numbers… but firepower? We’ve got you  _ destroyed _ , lady! Percival, Dragon Pulse!”

A grunt clicked his tongue and led the charge. “Watchog, Hyper Beam!”

“Patrat, Confuse Ray!”

“Woobat, Air Cutter!”

Counter commands heralded a visceral clash where Confuse Ray was all but drowned out in Percival’s stream of twisting power, which pushed back four different Hyper Beam attacks alongside blades of air. The girl watched in awe as her saviour’s pokémon lashed out with a surge to overpower the incoming attacks. The plasma grunts’ jaws dropped. Rosa, in the meanwhile, assessed the enemy forces. The flash of light had revealed four watchog, a lone patrat, alongside two woobat.

“Now strike back! Iron Tail!”

Swipes of its metallic tail slammed poor patrat into one of the woobat, simultaneously slicing through an Air Cutter attack. The plasma grunts were pushed back steadily as the serpent lashed out, but the leading female grunt could only smile under her mask.

Suddenly, the shadows parted by Rosa’s side, and she caught a glimpse of claws ready to slash her throat open. 

* * *

“Ray, Bone Rush!”

The javelin shot through the air and cracked the purrloin across the jaw, sending it careening while allowing Rosa to duck out of the way. Her heartbeat resumed and she fell to her haunches, the terror of the situation just catching up to her.

“You’re welcome, bunhead,” Nate called with a smirk while Hugh had released Braviary to drive two of the woobat into the ground with its mighty talons.

Rosa’s breaths were haggard as Nate rushed to her side to check for wounds. “You good?”

“I-I’m fine!” she snapped, now embarrassed with the threat averted. Still, another easy breath was relieving. “Thanks, though.”

The brunet nodded as Ray brandished its bone staff before splitting it into escrimas, ready for the feline to strike once more. The female grunt could only click her tongue.

“So there are more than one of you…”

“Bet on it,” Hugh growled. “Braviary, Brave Bird!”

Cloaked in a violent flame, the Valiant Pokémon ran a devastating train through the remaining pokémon, cutting through them with ease. One by one they became unconscious piles in the dirt, leading the grunts into a hasty retreat. Their leader was the only one left with her purrloin out, and while her underlings had entered mass panic, she kept a level head.

“Tch… looks like we were caught unaware. Fine then, it’s your win; just don’t expect any mercy when the boss hears about this!”

Hugh moved to pursue the fleeing black shadows, but Nate stopped him. “Dude, we got a wounded one. Chill.”

Gritting his teeth, the bluenet calmed his tense nerves as Braviary was assailed by sparks of recoil when it returned to his side. “Tch… cowardly rats… who were they, anyway?”

“Beats me,” shrugged Nate. “What matters is we fought ‘em off.”

His eyes then turned to Rosa, who was just getting out of shellshock as her serperior coiled around her comfortingly. Hugh, in the meantime, made his way to the now-unconscious pair of a blonde stranger and her lillipup.

* * *

“You utter moron!”

Rosa flinched at Nate’s words.

“That was  _ reckless _ and  _ idiotic _ ! What were we supposed to tell your mother, huh?

“Hell, I don’t even know who your mother is — I just know  _ mine _ would have killed me! What if that cat had scratched you dead?”

A quiet “S-Sorry” was all Rosa could muster. “I got a little excited…”

Nate let out a huff, clearly willing to reprimand the girl more if not for more pressing issues. “Whatever… Hugh, what do we know?”

“Apart from the fact that the enemy’s a small army conveniently stationed at the ranch? Nothing much,” his eyes then fell on the unconscious girl. “She looks to be our one source of information.”

“She was awake when I got here, though,” Rosa murmured.

“Probably passed out from the shock,” concluded Nate, summing up the relationship between the girl and her lillipup with a glance. His piercing brown eyes shimmered against the lingering embers of Percival’s attacks. “Lillipup looks to have been tortured… seizures induced by photosensitivity.”

He moved towards the shaking dog, much to Rosa’s awe at his sudden shift in disposition. Nate knelt at the lillipup’s side to feel for temperature variance and any further symptoms.

“This lillipup suffered from a seizure. We have to consider two things: one; pokémon have a threshold below five percent when it comes to genetic photosensitive epilepsy, since most species evolved beyond it through battle; and two; our enemies don’t seem like the type to keep dossiers on random farmers.

“This is the work of a pokémon move. I’m placing bets on Confuse Ray, since they had patrat and watchog,” his eyes didn’t leave lillipup as he reached into the large bag that hung behind him. He administered a Full Heal along with a Super Potion to allow the lillipup’s body to begin its own recovery. “I’ve given it basic first aid, but the damage has already set in. Ideally, we should take this pokémon to the Center…” his teeth gritted. “We’re almost two hours away from town. GPS showed no Centers on this route either…”

“No helping it now. We need to wake the girl up ASAP,” Hugh said before tilting his head. “How did you figure she was a farmer, anyway?”

“Traces of hay in this lillipup’s hair, along with mild static on its fur,” Nate responded. “Static like this near a farm is likely from mareep — a species Floccesy Ranch is known to stock. If she’s this lillipup’s owner, she either lives at the farm, or is a  _ very _ dedicated full-time hire.”

Rosa was now dumbstruck. “How the hell do you know all this stuff…?”

“I used to read a lot. Plus, I live here,” Nate shot back before rising and reverting his expression to its usual laid back self, grin and all. “Why, you prefer my normal look? Heh, me too.”

The brunette couldn’t help but recoil at the nearly bipolar change. She was beginning to realise again how little she really knew about the boy. Something told her this would be a common occurrence.

“I’m waking this girl up,” Hugh released Oshawott from its pokéball before pointing at the unconscious girl. “Use Water Gun, but be gentle.”

* * *

“Dude, there’s a stream like behind us—”

Too late. Nate and Rosa grimaced as Oshawott drenched the collapsed girl awake with a blast of water from its mouth. The blonde blubbered as her eyes shot open. “Agh— Lily—”

“This was quicker,” Hugh scoffed.

“That was incredibly rude!” protested Rosa, and his indifference only drew an indignant huff from her.

“Wha…?” the girl was still groggy, and three squabbling children was the last thing she expected.

Rosa knelt to the blonde’s level in an attempt to calm her down. “Hi… we’re passing trainers.”

“You…” the girl squinted as her memories came rushing back. “You’re the one who saved me and Lily.” Then, realisation hit her like a truck. “Lily!”

“Relax,” Nate called from the pup’s side. “Your pokémon was seriously injured, but we’ve treated it.”

She wasn’t having it, hysterically shoving past Rosa to crawl to her dog’s side. She cradled the lillipup close to her chest and began sobbing. “I’m so…  _ so _ sorry!”

Rosa couldn’t help but glance sympathetically at the scene. She had seen many pokémon injured in her two years of travel, but that hardly desensitised her. She clenched her fists and glared at the Ranch. “Those bastards… I’m gonna get ‘em!”

“Don’t you dare!” Nate stood in front of her. “You are  _ not _ charging off recklessly again!”

Her disdain for Nate’s obstruction was written all over her face. While she restrained herself from pushing past, she gritted her teeth. “You can’t be serious! We need to help this girl!”

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t, but I’d appreciate if you listened for two damn seconds!”

“I only ran after you because I knew you’d do something stupid, Rosa,” Hugh added. “Listen to Nate for now.”

Her inadequacy made her want to scream, but Rosa contained her impulses. The memory of the purrloin’s claws inches from her throat was vivid enough to freeze her blood over; it was an excellent tranquiliser.

“Good,” Nate said. “Now the first thing we need is intel. Charging in without a plan can and  _ will _ get us killed. Those guys weren’t playing games.”

Hugh looked towards the blonde, who now looked up at Nate and Rosa with grateful, teary eyes. “She looks to be our best bet.”

“Yeah,” Nate nodded. “So, what can you tell us about those freaks in black?”

“Nate!” Rosa scowled. “You come on way too strong!”

“Oh I do  _ not _ need a lecture on that from you!”

“At least ask her for her name!”

“Why? It’s irrelevant—”

“ENOUGH!” roared Hugh, startling both his companions into silence. The rage he spoke of daily was usually like an endless yet calm ocean, but it looked like Kyogre had awakened now. The glint in his eyes sent rippling waves of terrifying wrath through the route. “This is  _ not _ the time for your bullshit fights! Focus!”

“Uh…” Nate pointed at the girl beside Hugh.

The blonde had shut her eyes and began trembling from Hugh’s sheer presence. The bluenet coughed awkwardly and made way for Nate and Rosa. The former knelt once more to her level.

“So… I know this is probably hard, but…”

Rosa scoffed as Nate failed to get to the point, but the blonde interjected. “Thank you!”

“Huh?”

“For saving us,” she said. “Thank you so much… I don’t know what those monsters would have done if you hadn’t come when you did…”

Rosa shook her head. “It’s no issue. Anyone would have done it.”

“No, you’d be surprised at how indifferent people can be. Especially from the big cities in the mainland,” she let out an almost relieved sigh now that she could feel Lily’s heartbeat. “I-I’m Erin, by the way. I live at Floccesy Ranch… or well, I did, until those people in black uniforms stormed my home…”

“So the attack was recent,” Nate rose, stroking his chin. “That’ll be to our advantage.”

“H-how so?” asked Erin timidly.

“They’re about as familiar with the lay of the land as us,” Nate quickly drew his holo map — courtesy of Trisha — from his bag. The layout of Floccesy Ranch was plain as day with satellite imaging. Although they lacked the clearance for live transmission, Nate hardly needed that. “This’ll do for now, but you’re gonna have to sit with me for a few minutes. Tell me everything important, and we can profile the Ranch to take it back.”

“T-Take it back?” Erin tilted her head.

“Of course,” Rosa exclaimed. “Those bastards invaded, didn’t they? This’ll be like a siege! We’re gonna take the Ranch back!”

“You—” Nate cut in. “—are way too excited about this.”

“My brother pulled this off alone at the Pokémon League!” she said haughtily. “Not as grand, but it’s a start!”

“Right, whatever,” drawled Nate, while Erin could only look concerned for Rosa’s sudden shift in tone. “Go do whatever you need to for prep. I’ll need some alone time with Erin here.”

Rosa felt almost shooed away, and in typical Rosa fashion, simply stuck her tongue out at him before tramping off towards Hugh.

* * *

The bluenet was treating Braviary with medicine, and a stoic expression formed on his face as Rosa approached him. He took note of her scowl. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Rosa scowled further. “I’m just sick of being treated like a child! Nate’s annoying as hell; it’s like he doesn’t respect me in the slightest!”

Hugh raised a brow. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know! Look at how he treats me constantly!”

“If you’re ranting about this now of all times, it must be pretty bad,” he said. “But try to cut Nate some slack. He means well, but—”

“Cut him some slack? This is my journey, and he’s acting like I’m a burden!”

Hugh’s eyes flared at this, but he reined in the eruption. “… Cool your head, and don’t be so self-centred.

“Both Nate and I have goals of our own; we took up this journey and  _ chose _ to help you in spite of that. If you feel  _ any _ differently, let me know. We’ll split off on the spot.”

Rosa bit her lip; she didn’t want to hear this, but at the same time, a part of her knew she had to. She averted her gaze, noticing for the first time that Hugh was, in fact, a whole head taller than both her and Nate. His crimson eyes were sharp as spears, lit ablaze under the moonless sky.

Rosa shivered a bit before letting it out — “I’m sorry… I was out of line.”

With a scoff, Hugh patted Braviary on the back, and it cawed in contentment. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t mean to be that harsh either…”

A tension set into the atmosphere between them. Hugh was another mystery to Rosa. They had barely interacted, and he truly had no reason to so much as speak to her, let alone help her. Curiosity gripped her voice when she broke the silence.

“So, uh… what about you?” she asked.

“What  _ about _ me?”

“Why are you on your journey?” she blinked. “Nate hasn’t said a word, and you’ve made it  _ very  _ clear that you're doing your own thing…” she gulped. “I was just… wondering, you know?”

An extended silence filled the air with weight, and a suffocating sense of foreboding clutched every word Hugh uttered.

“I’m on a quest to find a missing pokémon.”

“A… missing pokémon?”

“Now is not the time,” Hugh cut her off, burying a surge of emotion. “Nate, what have you found?”

Rosa nearly jumped when Nate walked by from behind her alongside Erin. “I found enough to make this a full blown operation.”

“I’m sorry,” mumbled Erin. “I wish I could have been of more help.”

“Don’t worry about it, Eri,” Nate laughed. “You were a wonderful help. Now, you’re sure you can walk back to town on your own, right?”

The blonde nodded silently. “I’ll be sure to send help. Please hold out until then…”

“You can count on us!” Rosa raised a thumbs-up. “We’ll save your family and get your home back!”

Hugh and Nate couldn’t help but smile. In spite of a rocky start to the night, they were all set to bounce back and seize the following day. Though the blue embers receded, and the clouds revealed no moon, there was a glowing blaze of renewed hope that permeated through Route 19.

Erin flashed a grateful smile. “Thank you… for everything. I won’t let you down.”

* * *

Plasma had spread like the black plague, casting a wicked shadow over the moonless ranch. The warm flames of the night lights had been all but extinguished, and the normally calming air was now thick, weighed down by the eerie glares of watchog on the prowl. Ultrasonics swept the opening acre of the eight hectare farm, acting as a blanket to detect intruders as the grunts were deployed in formation.

The unit commander, a man draped in a uniform blacker than the night, knelt before his superior overlooking the landscape from a cliffside.

As Zinzolin’s eyes narrowed at the man behind him, his purple coat billowed in the updrafts. His crystalline eyes brought winter to those lost in their gaze, even when they flashed but briefly between slitted eyelids.

“… That damn country bumpkin knew nothing, so now, I’m forced to blow manpower on a sweep of this utter waste of land! You’d better have something good to report, lieutenant, or I’ll see that you join that hick in the afterlife!”

The Plasma lieutenant’s blood went cold when he beheld the Ranch owner’s lifeless corpse in the hands of Zinzolin’s dusknoir, which cast its own shadow under the murky clouds. The beast had ripped the soul right out of the man’s body, all to glean no information about their objective: The Light Stone.

He gulped before he spoke. “S-Sir, the preliminary sweep has shown no signs of the stone, but the operation is proceeding s-smoothly.”

“You hesitated,” chimed Zinzolin. “There’s more, isn’t there? There’s always more.”

“Y-Yes sir,” the lieutenant averted his eyes. “Gamma Squad has reported in.”

“Gamma Squad? Who were they again?” Zinzolin stroked his chin. “Right, hunting the escapee. I assume she’s been dealt with? It’s one little girl, after all…”

“About that, sir…”

Zinzolin’s eyes narrowed beyond slits, and a cold wave washed over his lieutenant. “Don’t tell me… they got beaten back? By whom?”

“… I-It was kids, sir. The report cited three of them with formidable pokémon at their disposal. There was a serperior, a lucario and a braviary.”

The dusknoir had begun trembling as it dropped the corpse of the owner, and the local temperature began to plummet. Beneath his mask, the lieutenant’s teeth had begun clattering.

Zinzolin turned, but his expression was calm. Serene. But the lieutenant had read the mood. He prostrated himself without a second thought. “My apologies for my men’s incompetence, sir! I’ll see this matter sorted at once!”

Chuckling at the raw fear he had incited, Zinzolin walked past his lieutenant, and his dusknoir followed suit. The sage held his headpiece against another chilling breeze.

“Good… see to the completion of your mission, lieutenant. You’re dismissed.” The air then froze. “ _ Don’t _ make me regret my benevolence.”

* * *

“You’re thrilled, aren’t you?” chuckled Zinzolin, his twisted smile now directed at the dusknoir by his side. “You’re so excitable, it’s almost cute.”

Having left the pitiful, trembling lieutenant behind, the duo had descended the clifftop and entered the farm plot for wheat. He stepped upon the crops without a thought, and his dusknoir wilted them in passing. The two stank of death.

“Society’s hilarious, isn’t it?

“Every time organised crime rises, this decrepit world looks to its  _ children _ to champion the cause.

“First Kanto, then Hoenn… even Sinnoh, and finally, this infernal region… every single one of them relies upon children, creating upstart  _ punks _ that think life’s just that easy to coast through.

“Well let them come, I say,” his eyes gleamed a wicked glare at the horizon. “There was one child I always wanted to see frozen into an eternally beautiful sculpture, but the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and even Ghetsis… they had to go and ruin that for me.”

The eerie cries of the dusknoir were music to the sage’s ears. Dry chuckles erupted into a manic laughter as the clouds passed on. No moonlight came.

“Looks like we’re getting another shot, old chum! You finally get to let loose.

“We’ll make art out of this dull evening yet ~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Author! I thought you took a break!”
> 
> Well surprise, motherfuckers. I decided to follow through before doing that break thing. Seeing as this chapter was mostly setup and character building towards the actual Floccesy Ranch arc, I figured I’d just drop it here before going on the seasonal break.
> 
> Though, this time, I will actually be going on break. An update on life, my military unit is engaged in a bilateral exercise (details of which are classified, of course). This has left me with little to no time, and my grandparents being in town kinda burnt Saturday away as well. I barely got through writing this chapter before posting.
> 
> That aside, I’m officially out of pre-production material, so it will be a while before you guys get anything. Leave it to the military to fuck up my schedule.
> 
> On that note, though, I want to thank you once more for all the support, and I sincerely hope all of you have a great rest of the day!  
~ Ace ♤


	9. Siege on Floccessy Ranch [Pt. 1]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, long break over. Sorry for the wait, everybody. Upside is, I got a tonne of this story done, so you guys can get your weekly updates again for at least 3 weeks straight :D
> 
> Hope you enjoy!  
~ Ace ♤

“Percival, use Dragon Pulse!”

Rosa’s heartbeat soared through the dead darkness, and Floccesy Ranch’s entrance exploded into an inferno of blue flames. Ripples of force shattered the front square and sent grunts and their grounded pokémon forces flying.

“Score!” she cheered. “Now let’s take ‘em out!”

“Don’t get too excited,” Hugh scoffed behind her. “And keep your guard up! Brave Bird!”

Braviary blasted through the inferno draped in frictional flames before slamming into a seviper behind Rosa. The brunette turned only to frown. “I had him, y’know?”

“Never hurts to be careful.”

The conscious grunts held expressions of awe. “Who the hell are you ki—” A spinning bone staff  _ THWACKED _ him across the face before returning to the smoke which cleared with a following swipe.

Nate smirked behind his lucario. “Sweet dreams!”

“Nice shot!” Rosa felt absolutely exhilarated.

“Thank you, I’ll be here all night.”

Storming the Ranch head on pumped adrenaline through her entire body, drowning away the absolute terror that had been imprinted on her. The memory of those claws nearly ripping into her throat made her skin crawl, but it faded before something more powerful.

Erin’s melancholic expression of terror.

The pleading look that entrusted the safety of her home to three strangers. That desperation brought about by these pieces of human garbage ate at her like nothing else.

Percival wove between two well-placed Hyper Beam attacks before downing the watchog with vicious whiplash from Iron Tail.

Woobat infesting the air launched many air cutters to carpet bomb the three, but Hugh gritted his teeth. “Braviary, use Brave Bird!”

Braviary’s battle cry echoed through the ranch before its blue aura delivered the decisive blows. Seven woobat fell like dead fruit.

“Krokorok!” growled a grunt. “Use Bite!”

The desert crocodile lunged out of the dust storm, headed straight for Percival, but a sonic boom killed its momentum, and a blurring assailant kneed it hard on its jaw. In the same spinning motion, Ray smacked it across the face with a bone staff, sending it head first into its trainer.

Ray landed in front of Percival, and the two smirked at one another. Nate’s silhouette coloured as he stepped out of the slowly clearing dust. “Now that’s what I call a home run ~”

The violent storm of attacks calmed the dust into settlement, leaving the three trainers standing.

* * *

_ Minutes before _

* * *

“Listen up squad,” Nate called as Erin disappeared into the woods. “Hugh, your sister’s an absolute lifesaver with this map. I’ve ported a copy over to all our XTransceivers, so pull ‘em up.”

Rosa blinked while the pair did as instructed. The message notification from Nate (or ‘asshat’, as she had saved his contact) opened up a detailed contour map with at least a dozen separate pin markers. 

“Wheelbarrow Square?” Rosa’s brow rose. “The hell is that?”

“Look, I didn’t have time for creative names. Now shut up and listen.”

She scowled at his last remark, but bit back a retort. 

“Good. Now thanks to foresight by the guy who built this dump, we’ve got eight clean square hectares of ground to cover.”

“What’s a hectare?” Rosa tilted her head, receiving a stink eye from the boys. “Hey, I didn’t pay much attention in… uhh… whatever class this gets taught in!”

Nate pinched his nose bridge, but kept his cool. “Hectares are a unit of measurement for Land Area. Think of a square hectare as a perfect square with an s value of 100 metres. It’s approximately equal to 10,000 square metres, or 107,640 square feet.”

She looked utterly lost.

“Ugh… fuckin’, okay, think like nine or ten football fields. That simple enough?”

Her eyes glittered. “Ohhh!”

“Not important,” Hugh sighed. “Get on with the brief.”

“Right, back on track. I’ve labeled the important square hectares for our plan.

“The opening square on the south-east section at the entrance is Wheelbarrow Square. The only distinguishable landmark here is a big ass wheelbarrow next to the river. Judging from the formation the guys deployed in the battle earlier, we can expect a good twelve or so enemies here. It’s very open, so there’s not much cover. Bunhead and Percival are gonna need to lead here; we need raw ranged firepower to sweep the ground units, and Hugh and I only have close to mid-range options.”

“Woohoo!” her eyes sparkled. “I get to lead!”

Nate ignored this. “Now this is where the plan gets important; I’ve marked the Hostage Shack; it’s one square west and two squares north from Wheelbarrow. Hugh, you’ll need to lead the charge there. Considering they had an entire unit after one girl, we can be sure they’ll guard prisoners heavily. Braviary can cut through these guys like butter.”

Hugh caught the potions thrown his way as Braviary landed with its recoil damage. “Noted.”

“Bunhead, you’re gonna need to storm Barn 4 and secure our objective.”

There he went, calling her  _ bunhead _ despite being completely serious. It grated her nerves to no end. “The hell is our objective? Aren’t we freeing the people? I should go with Hugh and destroy the black guys!”

“Focus, fool,” Nate growled, causing the girl to recoil. “Remember why we’re even here? The Light Stone! You need to secure it before the authorities arrive. Erin’s ETA should be upwards of two hours, and this place is gonna get stormed harder than ever! You wanna find your brother or not?”

His words stung. She wanted more than anyone to find her brother. Lashing back out at Nate was highly tempting now, but Hugh’s words rang in her head. He was still helping her of his own volition. She buried whatever anger she felt at that moment.

“How do you know it’s in this barn?” Hugh asked.

“I don’t; I’m spitballing. Barn 4 is the largest barn, and the only one with electricity being actively fed in. Literally the only notable spot on the map.”

Hugh sighed. “So we’re operating on a hunch and a time crunch… tch.”

“It’s the best bet we’ve got.” Nate said grimly. “As for me, I’m on sentry.”

“S-Sentry…?” asked Rosa.

“Ray and I can confirm troupe distribution and all intel once we’re inside the farm. The entire thing’s barely in our radius with the wheelbarrow as the centre. We’ll stay in touch through XTransceiver; I’ll feed you guys the info.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Whoa, you can do that?”

“Aura’s pretty awesome,” he smirked. “But now that the plan’s out on the table…”

Hugh cracked a few joints. “Let’s execute.”

* * *

_ Present time _

* * *

“Alright!” cheered Rosa. “We captured the Wheelbarrow Square!”

Percival coiled around her to receive petting, at which it further purred in satisfaction. With the dust cleared, the unconscious bodies of the people in black lay crumpled alongside their pokémon.

“That sounds extremely lame when you say it that way,” Nate called from next to Ray, who had begun channeling aura.

She scowled at this. “You’re the one who named the damn square!”

“I was crunched for time!”

“Then it stays: We captured the Wheelbarrow Square!”

Hugh rolled his eyes. “For the last time, break it up. We’re in enemy territory!”

They both read their companion’s rising temper, so broke it up silently. Nobody wanted to set Hugh off a second time.

Nate continued preparations to link with his lucario, standing right behind it with a hand on its back. The jackal’s aura receptors were the black appendages on the back of its head, and they had begun rising with the swirl of twisting energy that had begun engulfing them both.

Rosa, in the meantime, left Percival to guard Nate and Ray, and joined Hugh’s side. Her cheery demeanour had already begun cracking. They had both decided to tie up the unconscious black uniforms, for rope could be found lying around in a ranch like this.

Hugh noticed her genuine expression shift into one of burning anger. He pulled a knot shut. “Something on your mind?”

“Yeah,” she glowered at an unconscious grunt before tightening her own knot with an angry jerk.

Hugh sighed. “Nate?”

“He went way overboard!” she growled. “I don’t have to keep taking this!”

“… I’ll have a talk with him.”

“No, let me do it,” she said scornfully. “I can speak for myself, and I’ll give him a big, fat piece of my mind after this is over! Just watch!”

Hugh shook his head. “You don’t understand him even a little. You’ll just make things worse.”

“Worse than they already are?” she scoffed. “That asshole just won’t stop treating me like a child!”

Hugh calmly tied yet another knot around the fifth grunt. “He trusts you more than you know.”

“And how the hell do you take that away from his constant shitbaggery and smugly looking down on me, huh?”

“Who’s going for the main objective in that plan of his? Who’s the lynchpin to this whole thing?”

Hugh’s unwavering, level response struck Rosa at her core.

“M-Me…” Her gaze averted.

“He knows full well how important that brother of yours is to you, and he’s putting all his trust in you to retrieve that stone if it’s there.

“You gained his respect the moment you fought him to a standstill. Now try to understand him… just a little.”

Rosa’s thoughts wandered to their conversation at the breakfast table. The sincerity in his eyes when he had called her  _ friend _ was something that always lingered in the back of her mind, and it now came to the forefront. Even their exchange the night before.

* * *

_ “I plan out every move, every breath I take, and every joule of energy I use every second of the day, but… honestly? I don’t know what the future holds. _

_ “And… that terrifies the shit out of me.” _

_ Rosa’s brows rose. “Are you…?” _

_ “What I’m saying is that it’s okay to be nervous,” he let go of the rail, somersaulting with grace onto his feet as he dropped to the ground. “But you’ve got just the one life. Make sure to enjoy yourself regardless of what happens, or you’re doing everyone who loves you the biggest disservice this side of history.” _

* * *

She gulped.

“Nate hasn’t had the greatest life,” said Hugh.

Her head rose. “Huh?”

“He moved from Sinnoh. When you get a chance, try finding out why.”

“What…? Why don’t you just tell me?”

“It’s not something I have the right to speak freely about,” he moved to drag the final uniform to their tied chain. “Trust Nate, and try to understand him.”

Rosa could only confusedly tilt her head. Her gaze then set itself on the boy and his lucario. They were focused on honing their aura sense, and their resonance could be felt all the way where she was.

“Almost done, guys!” he called, his eyes still shut. “Get ready to move—”

“WAKE UP, YOU BASTARD!”

Rosa and Nate both turned their attention to Hugh, whose roar rang through the Ranch. Rosa’s expression turned horrified when she heard the sickening impact of his fist with the uniformed man’s face. He awoke from the shock, and was sprawled out on the ground. “Oww…”

The momentary pain on his jaw was all but swallowed by the fear of the almost demonic rage that contorted Hugh’s face.

“H-Hugh…?” Rosa asked concerned.

He ignored her. “So you  _ dogs _ had a palette swap, eh?”

“E-Eh…?” the terrified grunt now looked confused. “What do you—”

He received a harsh kick to his face, spurting blood from his nose. His black mask dampened from the warm liquid discharge, and he whimpered with his hands bound. Hugh grabbed him by the shirt. “Say your name! Say it! Who are you people?!”

“Wh-Whuh—”

“SAY IT, YOU HUMAN GARBAGE!”

Rosa’s horrified eyes fell on Hugh’s gaze, which wasn’t on the man’s face, but on the emblem on the chest of the uniform. It was a bright shield on the otherwise black uniform, split down the middle into two shades of lighter and darker grey. Azure lines patterned it horizontally like a lightning bolt, forming a giant  **P** to complete the banner.

A hint of recognition washed over her face. “Hugh, that’s—”

The grunt let out a mad fit of laughter as he caught wind of what the boy spoke of. “Hihihi! You sad little punk!”

Hugh’s eyes flared. “What?”

“You heard me!” the grunt’s voice, while filled to the brim with terror, did not fear Hugh in the slightest. “We are the vassals of Lord Ghetsis’ will! His dearest, most loyal servants!”

Hugh punched him again across the face, causing Rosa to recoil from the geysers of blood the blow had set off. “H-Hugh… what’re you—”

“Five years ago… you shitbags ruined my entire life!” he looked to the man’s pokéballs. “You’re not the one who has it… who does? Tell me who!”

Nate had heard his friend’s voice, and a flash of realization washed over him. “Shit… Ray, speed up the link!”

Ray let out an aggravated grunt. There was no rushing this process.

The grunt, in the meantime, continued to laugh his terrified, demented laughter. “I ain’t tellin’ you  _ shit _ , kid! You don’t scare me half as much as Lord Ghetsis or Lord Zinzolin!

“You wanna know our name?”

“WHERE ARE THE REST OF YOU?” Hugh beat into him once more, this time at the stomach. The grunt coughed and retched, but continued cackling.

“Ugh… you really wanna know, don’tcha?”

_ CRACK. _ “TALK!”

“Haha ~”

Hugh backhanded the man before mounting him on the floor. He raised another fist, much to Rosa’s horror. “TALK, YOU WORTHLESS SHIT!”

“We are reborn! We are Team Plasma! One little kid ain’t even worth dirt against out grand mission!”

Hugh let out a feral roar, and Nate yelled to Rosa. “Control him, dammit! I’m stuck here!” He snapped Rosa out of beholding Hugh’s unbridled wrath as he beat relentlessly into the grunt, who gargled on his own blood amongst the vicious blows.

She dashed forward and clutched his arm with both of hers. “Hugh! Stop! He’s done—”

“LET GO!” he bellowed, throwing Rosa off her feet with a single backward swipe. The brunette hit the ground hard, and her face went pale with fear and breathlessness when she beheld Hugh’s expression of primal fury. He rose off the grunt, but he looked like he would murder fifty before being sated.

Her body began shaking. “H-Hugh—”

“ _ Don’t _ get in my way!” he snarled, before calling Braviary to his side. The bird’s expression matched its trainer’s to a T. Hugh then let Oshawott out, and while the otter looked eager, its readiness to fight was crushed by the overwhelming pressure its trainer let out. Oshawott nearly jumped out of its skin, but Hugh leered at it. “Keep up! You’re being deployed. We’re taking  _ no _ prisoners!”

Reluctantly, the otter jumped onto Braviary’s back, while the Valiant Pokémon clutched its trainer by his shoulders. The trio took to the skies.

* * *

Rosa froze as she realised what this entailed. Hugh couldn’t possibly fight properly with such raw anger fueling him. He couldn’t tell friend from foe, and his frenzy had all but dissolved his calm, collected exterior — the only side of him she knew. She had to stop him from getting Oshawott, or worse, himself, killed.

She had to move.

_ Move, dammit! _

“Bunhead, get a grip!” Nate roared, snapping her out of her stupor.

“Sorry—” she rose without bothering to dust herself off. Percival quickly moved from Nate’s side to her own. “Alright, I’m going after him!”

This outraged Nate. He quickly caught her by the arm. “What? No! Stick to your part of the plan!”

Rosa gritted her teeth, turned around, and slapped the boy right across the face.

He looked utterly shocked in that moment.

“You phenomenal douchebag!” cried Rosa. “‘Muh plan this! Muh smarts that! I’m so great!’ Stuff it, asshole! You might be a machine, but  _ some  _ of us care about other people too!

“You ever think about how others feel? You ever get your nose out of those logic-driven textbooks or whatever you lord over others, and think for  _ one goddamn second _ about how fucking shit you make others feel?

“How you make me feel?” a sourness wrenched her tone. “I’ll tell you! You make me sick!

“You’re still stuck on your _ stupid fucking plan _ when Hugh’s looking like he’s gonna murder someone even if it kills him… you monster! He’s gonna die if he charges in like that, and I won’t stand by and let that happen!

“Now let me go!”

His visor shadowed his eyes, but he held strong in his grip of her arm.

Rosa tried to pry free, but to no avail. She began growling, sinking nails into his arm to the point of drawing his blood. “God dammit, let me go!  _ Let me  _ ** _go_ ** !”

“Listen to me…”

“No! Hugh needs me!”

“I said  ** _listen, dammit_ ** !”

Rosa jumped at his sudden volume spike. Her teeth gritted after the initial shock.

“Please… listen,” Nate cut in, and when he looked her in the eye, she felt an unbelievable mix of sadness and fury emanating from them. “He’s  _ my _ friend too… so… I’ll go after him.”

“Wh-What…? But you said—”

“Screw whatever I said!” Nate snapped, anguish clutching his face. “You think I  _ like _ watching people walk into executions? You think I’m some goddamn sociopath without a heart?

“Hugh’s been my  _ only friend _ since I moved here, and he’s about to kill himself!  _ I _ won’t stand by and let that happen!”

The aura swirling around him faltered in its upward spiral, and his utter anguish flowed into Rosa through their contact. She felt his heart right then and there. A sincerity and purity beneath the winter he draped himself in.

“I’m  _ not _ a machine, or a computer,  _ or  _ a damn monster — I’m human! I care about my friends too!”

His voice was cracking, and his hand shook from Rosa’s digging nails. Nate himself looked ready to explode, but he viewed her with a completely different expression. His hazel hues burned with a pain like no other, like his whole front of an apathetic supercomputer had come crashing down from her relentless torrent of accusations.

Seeing that look in his eyes hurt Rosa beyond anything. All her anger and scorn melted away. This boy had been the first person in the world to call her  _ friend _ , after all.

He let out a shaky breath. “So  _ you _ focus on the objective, bun— no… Rosa.”

Her eyes widened, and a single tear trickled down her left cheek. She had no name to give these emotions, because they had never flashed through her mind before. A second and third tear, alongside soft whimpers, followed as her digging nails moved to clutch the fabric of his shirt.

Nate sighed exasperatedly. “I’m sorry… I’ve been a bit of an asshole. We’ll have a nice, long talk after this is over, ‘kay?”

“Urgh…” Through her tears, Rosa fought her quivering lips. “You’d b-better… better not die out there.”

He shook his head with a grin. “That’s my line… now go get that damn Stone.”

He let her arm go, and she dried her tears before dashing in the opposite direction. Her resolve was to find her way there, no matter what it took.

* * *

“Alright, Ray, sorry about wasting the link, but I’ll only need it for a few more seconds.”

Ray had gathered its aura, which now flowed out of both itself and Nate in a swirling stream of azure. The lucario smirked as the swirls solidified into a blazing storm of blue flames. They were enveloped in the power of aura, and the universe unraveled in their minds. Transcendent senses for but moments laid bare the entire landscape around them.

Abstract and forged by their desires, the link painted the universe as they understood it, guided by their strong wills towards a particular outcome. Nate’s eyes flashed with the knowledge of various things, including their enemies, Hugh himself, and finally, their objective.

He saw it coming — his senses short-circuiting soon. It had, in fact, been an incomplete and unstable link, and the adrenal rush warning his body of danger began overpowering his perception in a tempest of impulse.

_ Come on — just a little… further! _ He let out a primal roar and focused a pulse of the aura at Rosa’s running figure. “Hey Bunhead! Take it!”

Rosa was out of range of his voice, but the aura hit her dead on, delivering all the information Nate could salvage before the link shattered. There was a three-fold resonance across the Ranch that lasted within time well beyond their perception, but their XTransceivers flashed for that brief moment.

Nate dropped to a knee, sweating and panting alongside his lucario.

“Shit… we weren’t even close…” he punched the ground. “Dammit! I thought with all that training… we could have managed…”

He pushed himself off the ground and dusted himself off before looking towards the Hostage Warehouse, where Hugh was headed through the sky. A sigh escaped him. “Okay… let’s catch up to that idiot, shall we?”

He had no idea what he had triggered.

* * *

Rosa’s world was blown out of proportion by the sudden wave of aura that hit her square in the back. Percival, who slithered alongside her, widened its eyes in shock when it sensed the energy surging through her.

“What the—”

The brunette’s mind suddenly received all the feedback of the transcendent vision, burrowing through detail after detail that imprinted itself in her psyche. Suddenly, she could tell where every Plasma grunt on the Ranch was, and her brain acclimated itself to calculating exactly where they were going and what they were doing.

She caught herself before the fall and continued running, but her mind wandered further into the subconscious, beyond sight, smell and speech. The light at the end of the entire universe speeding past her called out. She had to grasp it, and as she reached and reached, the flame of memory overcame her.

* * *

_ Chopper blades whipped against the high winds at a rooftop helipad. Takeoff was imminent, and two men in lab coats could be discerned within the passenger cabin of the helicopter. Then, the rooftop door swung wide open. _

_ “DAAAD!” _

_ The scene looked surreal, yet so grounded in reality, that one couldn’t ignore how incredibly solid the boy’s cry had been. One of the men in the lab coats' ears perked. He peered out of the cabin to see his son waving at him with a big grin. _

_ “Hartwell,” said the other man in a coat. “Will you need us to land for a moment? It appears your goodbyes were incomplete.” _

_ His face was a mystery, indiscernible, but the man looked almost angelic with a thin, slender frame and a halo of gelled hair over his head. _

_ Hartwell, the boy’s father, shook his head. “Nah. This’ll do.” _

_ A much bigger man than his compatriot, Hartwell leaned outside the cabin and began waving. The angelic man cringed as his waving hand barely missed the chopper blades. “Bye, son! Dad’s off on a long trip!” _

_ “Come back soon okay? You gotta tell me everything about Snowpoint!” _

_ “Sure thing, boy! Now you stay safe, and don’t worry your mother!” _

_ “Roger that, Dad! Send lots of pictures and gifts, please!” _

_ As Hartwell’s helicopter ascended beyond earshot, a tall young woman with brown hair burst through the rooftop door too. “Nathan! Boy!” _

_ “Mom?” before he could say anything more, he was wrapped in a tight embrace. “Ack— M-Mom!” _

_ “You stupid idiot!” cried the brunette. “Don’t  _ ever _ run off like that again!” _

_ “M-Mom— can’t… breathe…” _

_ She let him go in a panicked hustle. “Oh— Sorry… but you deserved some of that! Why would you just run out of the house like that? How many times does Mom need to tell you to ask before you leave?” _

_ “I… I’m sorry, Mom…” Nathan averted his gaze. “I just wanted to see Dad one last time. He never even came home for a week before today!” _

_ Two men dressed in strange, almost space suits came running up to the roof. They had weirdly uniform bowl cuts, and the exact same green hair. “Mrs. Gray, please come with us!” _

_ “You’re on the Galactic-Veilstone Building; it’s a restricted access area!” said the second one. “Please vacate at once.” _

_ “O-Oh…” the brunette was nervous, and protectively wrapped her arms around Nathan before picking the boy up. “R-Right, I’m sorry. Would you be able to show us the way out?” _

_ “That won’t be an issue,” a third voice cut in, and both the bowl-cut men stood at attention on reflex. It was a chillingly deep voice coming from the other rooftop access. “Greetings.” _

_The door with the golden _**G** _symbol split apart to reveal a tall, broad-shouldered man with a sunken face. His hair stood on edge in cyan spikes, and his eyes looked devoid of all feeling, departed from this world. They regarded all things in the universe with such cold indifference, that it was like staring into the depths of the cosmos beyond the numerous clusters of spiraling galaxies._

_ “I take it that you are Hartwell’s wife and child?” _

_ The woman held her child close. Everything about this man terrified her. The utter lack of care inspired a crawling fear under the skins of those he addressed. _

_ “Y-Yes… We are.” _

_ “Hartwell is a valuable asset to Galactic. One of our finest scientific minds,” nodded the man. “He reports directly to me, after all.” _

_ “I see… and you would be…?” _

_ The bowl-cut men scowled at her, but the man raised a hand. The sheer terror inspired even by this gesture killed any expression on their faces. _

_ “Please, be at ease,” said the man. “I am Cyrus, CEO of Galactic. I assure you, there is full intention to compensate Doctor Gray for his numerous contributions to our latest operations. I can only hope that his absence is not held against the collective of my company.” _

_ “N-No, nothing of the sort,” she said, smiling uneasily. “We’re extremely proud of Hart and all he’s doing to support the family. Thank you for taking care of him!” _

_ “Mom…” the boy mumbled audibly. “This man is scary… can we leave?” _

_ “Nathan!” scolded the brunette. “This is Dad’s boss! Show some respect!” _

_ Cyrus smiled a hollow, empty smile. His lips curling ever so slightly wrinkled his sunken face, and his eyes when shut put the rings beneath them on full display. Though the motion was genuine, it sent shivers down the spines of mother and son. _

_ “That’s quite understandable. Children have never been very fond of me.” _

_ “W-We’re sorry, sir…” said the brunette. “Nate, apologise.” _

_ “Sorry…” Nate grumbled. _

_ “It’s alright,” Cyrus nodded. “Now, please allow me to escort you off the premises. Consider it an apology for the conduct of my employees.” _

_ He looked the two bowl-cut men dead in the soul, and they looked like they had lived and died seventy times. The pair scattered and flew from the roof without a word. _

_ “P-Please, I’m sure we can manage,” smiled the woman. _

_ “I was under the impression that you didn’t know the way,” Cyrus said, as the elevator he had come from opened. “Please, come along now. I insist.” _

* * *

Rosa’s eyes opened, and an uncanny fatigue caught up to her. She leaned forward and gasped for air, taking support on smooth wood. “What the hell… was that?”

Her eyes were wide as saucers. The memory had been filled with warmth, and while she had many questions (Was that Mrs. Lucille? Was that little Nate? Why was the boy so incredibly pure when compared to his current cold self?), her energy was fully dedicated to fighting the wave of fear and nausea that came from viewing those dead eyes. She hadn’t been physically present, but she still felt death crawling under her cold, sweating skin when remembering those eyes.

The boy on the roof had kept his composure and even dared to speak before such an imposing presence. If that was indeed Nate, and not some crack dream incarnation (which it probably was), she had once again seriously underestimated the boy.

Percival hissed concernedly to snap her back into reality. Her breathing stabilised and her wits came back to her.  _ Focus, Rosa! Get your head in the game! _

She wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Alright, we need to find Barn 4…”

Percival pointed with its tail, and Rosa’s gaze followed the direction to look at the very structure she leaned against. Her jaw dropped.

The wooden structure extended far above her, casting quite the shadow to swallow her own. The teak wood showed signs of faded wear and tear as one’s gaze approached the apex, where it was difficult to polish. Its slanted roof comprised of a thatchwork of tiles, it identified itself through the giant, red number  **4** painted onto the worn top.

“No way…”

She had no memory beyond receiving a blast of power from behind, somewhere near the entrance. She looked behind her only to see scattered unconscious bodies of Plasma Grunts and their pokémon. Percival coiled around her with a playful smile.

“W-wow… you took them all by yourself?” a purr escaped her serperior, and she chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. They aren’t strong enough to need my commands ~”

Rosa then turned, straightened herself, and regained her breath. “Alright, Light Stone… if you’re in there, here we come!”

* * *

“That the last of you bozos, or is there someone who wants  _ more  _ broken bones?”

The midnight winds blew against Nate’s face as he dropped a knocked out Plasma Grunt to the ground. Ray had twin bo-staves drawn, fighting across the Ranch field to incapacitate several grunts and their pokémon all at once. The jackal came upon them with deadly precision in whirlwinds of strikes, avoiding vitals while still inflicting painful internal haemorrhaging.

These Plasma goons would not rest very easy.

“You’re wide open, fool!” The shadows behind him parted, and a grunt lashed out with a knife in her hand.

Nate’s dodging motion was fluid with the grab at her wrist before a harsh blow to dislocate it. His elbow crunched out her scream, turning her nose into a blood fountain. His knee strike simply sealed it.

As the grunt crumpled to the floor, Nate kicked the knife into his hand skillfully. “The fact that you thought  _ that _ would work… it’s gotta be part of the highlight reel for this show ~”

He waved to his lucario, who had just downed the last watchog. Ray joined its trainer’s side without a word.

“We don’t have a perfect link, Ray, but I know you feel that…” he spoke of the absurdly terrifying, suffocating rage coming from the general direction of the Hostage Barn. Nate sighed. “Honestly, I wish there was another way.”

He pocketed the knife and rushed straight at the Barn, preparing for contact he really didn’t want to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was extremely fun to write. So many feelings spiraling out of control culminated in some sick character and interpersonal relationship development. I’m not gonna lie, it turned out way better than I initially envisioned it. Magical stuff happens when you just let the characters take control.
> 
> With that out of the way, I should let you guys know that I’ve been receiving a lot of messages about the pairings for this fic (way more than I thought I would, since I really don’t write with romance in mind). People have expressed quite a number of their wishes (you know who you are). Considering this, I guess I’ll lay it out on the table: What pairings do each of you want for these characters, taking into account all you’ve seen so far?
> 
> Take that as a sort of question of the week(?). As usual, I wish you all a great rest of the day!  
~ Ace ♤


	10. Siege on Floccesy Ranch [Pt II]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Support on this fic has been overwhelming as usual. You guys have been sending in awesome feedback in the reviews and my discord DMs. I feel super bad for being late on this.
> 
> There’s a few things that need addressing regarding the futures of both this fic and myself, but I won’t put ‘em here. Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter if you’re particularly curious about future updates. As always, I’d love to talk to all my readers. Hit up my twitter, @AUH_Aceu, or my discord, Ace#4566 to engage; I’m on during normal hours in the timezone of GMT + 8.
> 
> Before I continue, I’ll remind everyone that this fic is rated T, so I will gut you like a fish if you continue reading, dislike violence, and then come complain to me. This is your trigger warning.
> 
> With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!  
~ Ace ♤

Floccesy Ranch’s Barn 4 was a sprawling complex without a ceiling separating ground from roof. Cobwebs infested the upper scaffolds, illuminated by the generator at the centre of the room. Flickering light waltzed the shadows on the roof to a mechanical hum.

Rosa gawked at the sheer size of the interior, while Percival stayed by her side in equal awe. “Wow… this place is _ huge _!”

It made their own home at Nuvema look like nothing but a small room. There were no walls to separate sections of the barn, and all the hay had been moved out to make room for the energy conduits and circuitry that built and added to the humongous generator.

The most eye-catching part of the setup was the silver pillar in front of the machinery. Rosa’s eyes sparkled when she beheld what was within it, visible through the reinforced glass window.

One perfectly circular, bright sphere, immaculate of any and all stains.

A billion questions raced through Rosa’s mind, all of them cumulatively asking the same thing: Had her two-year-long quest finally concluded?

“Percival… this might be…” her words choked, and while her partner observed solemnly, Rosa held back her tears. _ This might be my brother _.

Her hands shook as she approached the glass slowly, and she jumped when the window began lowering with but a single touch. The hiss of preservative gas discharging into the air agitated both her and her partner, but all that dissolved when the stone was within her reach.

Warmth caressed her palm as it closed in on the ivory construct. A surge of relief began overtaking her base instincts, but Percival wrapped around her stomach and yanked her away. Eyes wide with shock, she saw a blade-like construct rip through the air in front of her.

A brutal shockwave shook the barn, and her heart pumped blood back into her senses as she caught herself on her haunches. Percival positioned itself to divert the force away from its trainer, hissing aggressively in doing so.

“What— What the hell just happened?” she cried.

“Tch…” came a feminine voice. “That was an easy target too… Seviper, _ what the hell just happened? _”

Rosa’s face twisted into disgust when she heard manic cackling following a very poor mimicry of her voice. Virulent hissing preceded a swipe of the bladed tail, dissipating the smoke to reveal the venomous serpent. Gold scales plated the outline of its face, and perverse eyes laid a gaze upon the floored brunette and her serperior.

“That was well-dodged, girl. Seems you trained your pokémon well.” Seviper’s trainer scoffed as she dusted herself off from rising beside it. “Can’t say the same about you, though. Spacey much?”

“I—” the woman’s chuckles only boiled Rosa’s blood. “I’m not spacey! You’re just stupid!”

It had been for a split second, but even Percival looked embarrassed at its trainer. The mysterious assailant did not cease her cackles.

“Wh-What’s so funny?” flushed Rosa.

“Why, you of course ~” the woman laughed. “You’re an _ actual child _ ! How did _ you _end up ploughing through those clowns at the gate?”

The brunette recoiled at this woman’s sick laughter. Clad in black much like the Plasma Grunts, this woman’s auburn hair stuck out from under her hat, but her emblem was placed differently. A red band bearing Plasma’s shield wrapped around her left bicep.

Rosa got to her feet with a scowl on her face. “You’re part of Team Plasma too, aren’t you? You’re the ones who reduced my brother to that state!”

“Your brother? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Well you’re about to find out!” her teeth gritted. “Percival, give ‘em Dragon Pulse!”

The woman calmly stepped aside as her seviper took center stage. “Flamethrower!”

Azure flames blasted into a crimson blaze, and the colliding attacks struggled against one another, but neither won. Heat razed the barn.

Rosa took a step back, utterly flabbergasted. “What the— who are you?!”

“Why, I thought you’d never ask!” The viper’s trainer simply smiled at this, her sly grin cracking through the mask. Her silhouette was blackened by a sea of flames, but she stepped forward with a chilling aura unlike anything Rosa had felt before. “I’m part of a special unit under the direct command of Lord Ghetsis’ Shadow Triad… Plasma’s first Precept — Misti the Merciful!”

“F-First Precept?”

“The first of five, and if you couldn’t guess already, I’m here for the Light Stone… but I suppose I can get to that whenever I want; I’ve gauged your pokémon well enough to see that you’re really no threat. My men just need better training ~”

Rosa’s expression turned bitter as Percival returned to her side. “Tough talk, coming from someone who couldn’t beat Dragon Pulse… Percival, let’s smash these clowns! Giga Impact!”

Percival’s battlecry resonated across the barn as purple energy twisted around its advancing figure. The serpent tore through the air, carving its advance out into the charred ground, but the woman simply chuckled as embers set her mask ablaze and burnt it away.

Misti’s face contorted into a perverse distortion of itself. With a lustful gaze directed at Rosa, she licked away the flames.

“Seviper, Sucker Punch!”

Seviper’s venom-drenched tail cracked Percival’s scales from a blind spot. The serpent gagged as the intense aura dissipated and it was sent rolling across the floor.

“Percival—!” Rosa cried, as her partner staggered upright.

Seviper coiled smugly with a provocative hiss of its own. Much to the brunet’s horror, her partner’s wound had already begun turning purple. What should have been a bleeding stab strike had clotted all too quickly.

“You see, the Five Precepts of Plasma have rules we dedicated our hearts and souls to. In my case… I’m completely forbidden from taking Life.

“Let me assure you, though… once I’m done with you, you’re gonna _ beg _ for death ~”

* * *

Ray blew the door to the hostage barn open, and the sight that greeted him shocked Nate. He had expected something like this, but the scale of things far exceeded anything he had imagined. The amount of unmoving bodies sprawled across the floor distracted for but an instant from the wild storm of attacks towards the center of the structure.

“What the f—” both him and Ray had to duck to allow a Plasma grunt to fly past. From the eye of the storm came a furious battlecry, followed by the defiant caws of a Braviary cutting through hordes of enemies.

When Nate had laid the plan out, he had not expected these kinds of numbers on Plasma’s side. “Shit… this is bad.”

It didn’t take a genius to deduce who was at the center of this small army.

“BRAVIARY, USE SUPERPOWER!”

The Valiant Pokémon descended upon a fearful watchog and cratered it in a surge of crimson aura. The entire barn now shook from the impact.

Oshawott barely stood from fighting off three watchog, which had now been brushed aside by Braviary’s enormous wing, but both of Hugh’s pokémon looked worse for wear, scraped and bruised all over. Braviary still suffered a lingering recoil effect, unmarred as it was from the battle.

Hugh, covered in various shallow cuts, was blind to his surroundings, instead taking the chance to flatten a grunt’s nose so he could join his friends in the dirt. Nate’s eyes widened when he noticed a second one lunge at Hugh from behind, armed with a knife.

He drew the pocketed knife from before and hurled it straight into the grunt’s shoulder. The man’s scream alerted Hugh, who silenced him with a harsh elbow to the face.

“Tch… what’re you doing here, Nate?”

“You’re welcome,” Nate rolled his eyes as Ray blurred past visibility to crack a woobat into the wall. “Now where the hell are the hostages?”

“There were none when I got here,” Hugh shot back. “Now answer my question!”

Nate took down another grunt, his breaths slightly heavy. “I’m here to save your ass, ya dingus. Take a look at yourself!”

“I don’t care about that.”

The final grunts received a punch from Hugh and a roundhouse kick from Nate. The man never really stood a chance.

A dead silence now enveloped the barn. The two trainers exchanged glances as their pokémon regrouped. Ray retrieved a barely conscious Oshawott before placing it on a bale of hay to rest. Braviary, in the meantime, struggled to stand from sparks of damage dancing over it. Yet, it held an insatiable hunger for more battle in its eyes.

Nate couldn’t help but waver in expression; his friends were pushed well beyond their limits. “Hugh… take a second to—”

“You wanna know where the hostages are, don’t you?” Hugh asked suddenly, before bloodshot eyes dug into a barely conscious grunt on the floor.

Nate saw his friend’s undead advance — his gradual descent into a darkness he always knew was there — and a shiver ran down his spine.

“Hugh…” he pleaded, placing a firm hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t do this.”

Hugh breathed. “Let go.”

“Cut it out,” snapped the brunet. “You’re _ this _close to falling the hell over; we’re retreating immediately.”

Hugh’s voice was a low growl. “Nate…”

“I know how important this is to you, but Oshawott’s already down. Besides, Rosa’s worried sick about you. Worried enough to want to rush over here! I made her a promise, and I’m not about to break it! Let’s leave—”

_ CRACK _.

Ray’s eyes widened in shock when Nate’s face bent to the back of Hugh’s fist. Its trainer was equally horrified as he was sprawled across the dirt. The jackal’s hair stood on edge from pure rage, but before it could draw its staff, it felt sharp talons dig into its back. A howl of anguish escaped it before it was thrown into the hay.

Hugh’s shadow suffocated Nate as the doubled world merged back into clarity. “I warned you,” he scoffed, before turning to resume his task.

Nate was reeling from what had just happened. His closest friend had just punched him right across the face, and he now moved to interrogation that was well past the moral event horizon.

Hugh pulled back a fist, ready to beat into the barely conscious Plasma grunt, but a hand gripped his wrist, a leg swept his footing, and his world flipped on its head. Through momentum like free fall, he saw glimpses of Nate twisting into a palm thrust to toss him like a ragdoll into a haystack. Hugh felt his lungs gasp for air as he regained his bearings.

What he saw was Nate dusting himself off before directing a cold glare in his direction. “Y’know, this was what I was _ really _ trying to avoid…”

Braviary’s battlecry was muffled by its cracking jawbone, as Ray emerged from Extreme Speed and sent it flying through a wooden support. The Aura Pokémon landed with its escrima bone staves drawn and ready.

“Since you’re clearly beyond words, let’s settle this properly,” said Nate. “I’ll take you back… even if I have to beat the shit out of you to do it.”

* * *

Rosa’s head rang from Supersonic waves unleashed by Misti’s Golbat. Percival faced down a merciless assault by her three pokémon — a Golbat, a Whirlipede, and her signature Seviper. Its movements were sluggish, and its singular tail could only fend off one attack at a time.

Against three pokémon close to its power level, even Percival was worse for wear.

Whirlipede’s violent forward spin met Iron Tail head on, and the Regal Pokémon struggled to parry the assault. As a result, two Air Cutters slashed it across the back, and Seviper moved in for a vicious Poison Tail attack. Percival barely dodged.

“Percival, hang in there…” Rosa gritted her teeth. “Push ‘em back with Dragon Pul—”

“Where are you looking?”

Rosa ducked under a fist. Misti came upon her mercilessly, driving a knee into her stomach before throwing her into a support beam. Rosa spat bile before slumping to her haunches and breaking out into coughs. Her arm wrapped around her middle.

“How many ribs was that?” sneered Misti before she crunched Rosa’s hand under her heel. The girl’s howl of anguish brought nothing but ecstasy to her face. “My, my, you are a walking, breathing musical instrument ~

“Only one pokémon, as powerful as it is, is never gonna let you mess with Team Plasma, little girl. Serperior’s gonna fall eventually.”

Rosa fought back the reflexive tears that came from this much pain coursing through her body.

“It’s a shame, really. You focused so much on training your pokémon that you neglected the weakest link in _ real _battle — yourself!”

Misti kicked Rosa across the face before stomping down on her stomach to crack another few ribs. The brunet gasped for air, utterly defenseless before this assault. The woman then clawed into Rosa’s hair bun, ripping it open to raise her by the hair.

“Look at you, all dolled up and built like a pillow… without your precious pokémon, you’re _ nothing _ but a weak little girl!”

Before Rosa could respond, she received another harsh blow to her stomach before a hook shot knocked her Visor off. The brunette crumpled into a shaking heap, curled inwards and struggling to breathe.

“You really should’ve kept your eye on the birdie ~”

* * *

Nate blocked and wove around a flurry of Hugh’s strikes, locking forearms with him before using his own momentum to throw him to the ground.

“Hugh...you can’t win in a straight fight,” he said. “Stay down.”

Hugh’s nails dug into the floor. “Shut up…”

Nate’s expression saddened as his friend rose once more. In the past ten minutes of this battle, the outcome had hardly differed. “Dude, at this rate, your non-vitals are gonna become vitals. Stop with this; we should leave while we have a chance.”

“I said ** _shut up_ ** !” roared Hugh. “You understand me, do you? You were there, were you?” His pride flared within his crimson eyes. “Bull- _ shit _ you were! _ You _ weren’t the defenseless boy who _ failed _! I was! And I won’t fail again!”

Hugh’s message was clear; he would not back down without things getting violent. Nate let out a tired sigh before blocking yet another blow.

Braviary clashed with deadly force against Ray’s twin bo-staves, and while the jackal knew full well to avoid direct confrontation with the explosive power of Brave Bird, it was being worn steadily down by the raw weight behind the Valiant Pokémon’s attacks.

The boys exchanging blows had a similar relationship, their constant back and forth involving Nate sliding by Hugh’s heavy handed strikes with fluid footwork. Yet, the boy grew weary, because Hugh was larger, giving him more reach and weight. The combat training Hugh received from his father shone too, for while his strikes were wild, they were never wasted motions. To say Nate outclassed him completely was a lie.

Nate palmed an incoming fist before pulling Hugh in for a knee strike, but his own knee hit a solid palm.

“You don’t know _ shit _ about what these bastards put Trisha through!” Nate couldn’t respond because his nose was flattened by a brutal headbutt. “My body, plans, rules… I don’t care!” Though his friend bled, Hugh beat ferociously into Nate’s face. “I told you… to stay… the fuck… out… of my way!”

With gritted teeth, Nate caught the sixth blow in his palm and twisted it backwards. Another kick to the shin freed his collar from Hugh’s grip, where he promptly planted a palm strike into the bluenet’s solar plexus.

“Don’t give me that!” he growled. “You think being her brother gives you solo rights on being pissed?” He kneed Hugh on the chin and flowed seamlessly into a brutal uppercut to floor his friend. “You’re conceited!” Gripping the dazed boy by the polo neck, Nate returned the favour of a headbutt to Hugh’s face, drawing blood from his nose. He followed through with a downward fist. “Don’t talk like you’re the only one who hates these bastards!

“Who the fuck do you think spoke to Trish every single day? Who do you think heard the same story over and over and over again… before he finally saw her heal?

“Was it you?” he spat. “No, it was me…”

Nate struck him down as he tried to get up.

“All while you drowned in your own freakin’ rage, _ I _ was the one who actually talked to her!”

Again, Hugh was stricken down before he could rise.

“So don’t you _ dare _ tell me what I do and don’t know! News flash… _ You’re _ the fuckin’ airhead here!”

Slowly, Nate rose from what he thought was a Hugh that couldn’t find the strength to stand anymore. Spitting to the side, he glared down at the unmoving body.

“Tch… guess I’m gonna have to carry your ass.”

He looked towards the pokémon next, and smiled when he saw Braviary pinned to the wall by six restrictive bone staves. The Valiant Pokémon had taken too much recoil damage to move properly now.

Nate realised that he had no way to return Braviary to his pokéball, and as he turned back to Hugh to address this, he received a face full of thrown dirt.

“ARGH—” his eyes burnt as the abrasive particles and dust rubbed away at his eyelids.

Stepping back did little to divert Hugh’s harsh punch to his gut. “You cocky son of a bitch… you haven’t won!”

The beatdown that ensued was a bloody one, and the raw impact of Hugh’s fists could be heard. Ray, while staggering, immediately picked up on its master’s losing battle. Braviary’s final bit of energy, however, exploded into a Brave Bird attack which shattered the restraining bones.

Ray couldn’t react to the bullet of a bird driving it straight into the wall.

Hugh fashioned both hands into a hammerfist before bringing it down on Nate’s head. The brunet hit the dirt with a sickening _ CRACK _. He did not get up.

With a long, haggard sigh, Hugh looked down upon Nate’s unconscious figure, confirming with a poke at his ribs that the boy was, in fact, out cold. In truth, he hated having to resort to such a tactic, but he did what he had to for the win.

_ Win, huh…? _

What was he out to win, again?

By the time he wiped the blood off his lips and began to acknowledge the tiny pang of remorse he felt for beating his friend, however, he felt a shiver.

The barn’s temperature dropped drastically as the roof froze over.

* * *

Percival was at its limit. The continuous assault had worn on it, with multiple stray Air Cutters having slashed up its pristine scales. Seviper’s coagulant venom had started clotting various points of its bloodstream, causing excruciating pain and sluggish movements. Its breaths were haggard, but it still stood its ground against all three of its opponents.

“What a futile struggle… End this, you three.” Misti scoffed before moving towards the container of the stone. The warm light over it had gone off, presumably from the fight that had broken out near the wiring.

She then suddenly felt a hand claw at her ankle, and looked down on Rosa with a repulsed expression. “Really, girlie?”

The girl, while shaking, was determined not to let go. It was the hand she had crushed earlier, so Misti simply stomped down on it. Rosa would have screamed, but her lungs did not have the air, instead letting off a pained groan. Rings had formed under the brunette’s swollen eyes, her loose hair scattered and framing the face of a ghost.

“You won’t get… the stone…”

Misti looked down at her with a pitying expression, before kicking brutally into her side. Rosa whimpered as she was sent rolling across the ground. Her fists tightened, though, and her killer glare did not so much as waver.

“What even…” Misti’s eye twitched, and she moved towards the battered girl before squatting to her level. Rosa’s face was cupped in her hand. “What gives a child like you that kind of determination?”

Rosa growled defiantly before spitting on her face. “Like I’d ever tell you…”

Misti was far from amused, opting to grind the brunette’s face into the gravel by the wood. Rosa flailed, but it only hurt her cracked ribs further. Misti then raised her head out to allow breath.

“Come on,” she chimed playfully. “Your pokémon’s almost done for, and you were _ never _ a threat, so you might as well tell me ~ who knows? Depending on your answer…” she smacked her lips. “I might take you in as a pet.”

Rosa’s revulsed expression spoke for itself, but she spoke anyway. “You’re sick in the head if you think I’d go along…”

Misti rolled her eyes before slapping the girl across her face. “Look, I don’t have time for this. Tell you what… once I’m done with my mission, I’ll play with you all you want ~”

She then grabbed Rosa by the hair and lifted her off the ground with her injured arm in a painfully twisted lock. Struggle as she might, Rosa could hardly fight the pain coursing through her system.

Percival had been fighting a losing battle, swatting aside Golbat’s long-range harassment with its Iron Tail and zoning the other two when it could using Dragon Pulse. Its stamina was at a limit, though, and the venom was slowly doing its work. The serpent coughed up a mouthful of blood, following which it was slammed into the wall by Whirlipede’s merciless Steamroller attack.

Still, the serpent began to rise. Misti coughed once to get its attention before holding up its battered trainer by her hair. Rosa could barely move from the punishment, but she held her resolute expression.

“P-Percival… get it ready…”

Misti pulled her back before scowling at her. “What could you possibly be mumbling about?”

“Heh…” Rosa coughed, ignoring her. “You’re in for a rude awakening!”

“What the—”

Rosa raised the live wire clasped in her good hand and shoved it into Misti’s neck. The woman let out a shriek before the amps turned her into a conduit for an electrical storm. Current surged through her body, dancing upon her very bones and running a million scalpels through her brain. Rosa shook Misti off and grounded herself on time with her rubber soled shoes.

She smirked. “Hit it, Percival! Frenzy Plant!”

The serpent glared at its three adversaries before green aura enveloped it like a violent storm. Seviper, Whirlipede and Golbat were caught completely off guard by the rising surge of spiked roots. Percival’s battlecry brought down humungus whips down upon the three, and while they resisted the attack physiologically, the battle had worn on them as well. The raw power of Frenzy Plant brought a swift end to their combined assault.

Slapped into the floor, the three ferocious poison types were rendered completely unconscious. Percival soon followed, having finally succumbed to the venom’s slow, painful effect. It could no longer move.

Rosa gasped, both for air and from horror at her partner’s condition. She drew an antidote from her bag before staggering to Percival’s side for quick administration.

“You… you did great, Percival,” her breath shook. “I messed up… again…” she wheezed. “And you had to fight alone. I’m sorry… take a good, long rest.”

The brunette quickly returned Percival to its pokéball and moved towards the white stone — the object for which she had fought so hard. Barely able to stand, she hugged the stone like it was her own brother. Its warmth rejuvenated her slowly, and the compassionate gaze of her electric blue eyes lingered over it.

She had finally found him.

Her hand moved to undo her second bun, letting all her hair flow. On her way out of the barn, she looked down upon the unconscious Misti and stuck her tongue out. “Should’ve kept your eye on the birdie.”

In that moment of satisfaction, a chill crept up her skin. Rosa rushed out of the barn, only for her jaw to drop. “Wh-What the…”

A raging blizzard blanketed the Ranch in a harsh winter. The hail pelted against her, and with her body in such a condition, every chunk sent a burning pain across her torso. The cold frosted her breath over.

_ Nate… Hugh… I gotta find them! _

She had to brave this blizzard.

* * *

The last thing Nate remembered was getting clocked over the head by Hugh. _ That dick… _

A vast black plain surrounded his floating body. There was nothing to see, hear, smell, taste or touch. His skin felt numb, and his head, still fuzzy.

_ Where the hell am I…? _

Nate nearly jumped out of his skin. His mouth had moved; the dull sensation around the hinges of his jaw confirmed this. Yet, he did not hear his own voice. _ What the— what the hell’s going on? _

In a panicked fit, he looked around, but all he saw was an endless darkness. Then, blue sparks carved their way into his reality in order to shatter the black mirror that was his subconscious. A flood of images reflected within the monochromatic shards of his psyche, stimulated to its peak by the greater forces of the Universe.

The Aura of Floccesy Ranch fought desperately against the storm of fate, prying back its anchor.

Racing through the scattered cosmos within an unconscious psyche, Nate’s eyes reflected a singular point of attraction. At the very edge of his universe lay a blinding light. Every fibre of his being guided his hand towards the Truth — the very zenith of his potential.

The images of what went on outside raced past him as he reached for it, but the shadows converged upon his advancing form without mercy. His head throbbed and his body shivered from otherworldly pain. A one-track mind was being split.

What eclipsed the radiance beyond his reach… was a Black Sun.

* * *

Hugh’s eyes were wide with shock as the frigid updrafts threatened to sweep him off his feet. An explosive ray of power had blown apart the frosted roof, and a mysterious figure cloaked in purple floated overhead.

His slitted eyes betrayed nothing but traces of the endless winter behind them, and when his lashes blinked the snow off his irides, a twisted grin framed the rest of his face.

“Now what do we have here…? Two children, and a pile of my very own men ~” as the man defied gravity in this divine act of walking the sky, he stroked his chin. “I do wonder what brought this about.”

Every cell in Hugh’s body screamed at him to run. This was not an enemy even the three of them could take on together. Forget that he was a floating man; the battle presence he gave off had manifested in a weather-shifting phenomenon. Even six pokémon, conventionally trained, could not shift the weather on this scale unless they were individually monstrous.

“You… who the hell are you?!”

“Who am I…?” the man chuckled, smiling serenely before his face contorted into a venomous scowl. “I get asked that so much, it drives me absolutely nuts!”

The blizzard intensified to fog visibility. Hugh was nearly swept up in the winds, but held his ground in front of his unconscious friend.

“People see N and Ghetsis only to recognise them instantly! Why am _ I _ the exception here, huh? Were _ The Seven Sages _ really that much of an utter joke?”

“Ngh…” Hugh had to get on all fours, distribute his weight and heat in a manner that wouldn’t instantly send him into a hypothermic state. His sweat was already freezing over into chunks, and his lungs burnt from breathing the air that ventilated his entire body.

He drew his pokéball to return his barely standing Braviary, but a shard of ice bulleted through the air to crack the sphere open and wedge it into the wall.

On the ground before him, a weavile held a devilish grin, reveling in the trainer’s struggle. Hugh gritted his teeth at this.

“You bastard…”

“You really don’t know me, do you?” asked the man in a mocking tone, shading his eyes over. “Fine, I’ll make an exception for you… just this once:

“Does Zinzolin of the Seven Sages ring a bell?”

Team Plasma… it boiled Hugh’s blood over and snuffed the cold out. “You…”

“Hoh? So it _ does _ ring a bell!” Zinzolin laughed out loud. “Why, I’m flattered to be recognised! Would you want an autograph?”

“Team Plasma…” growled Hugh, “I’m gonna kill each and every one of you!”

Caution was thrown to the winds, and both Hugh and his Braviary shoved aside the limits on their bodies. The Valiant Pokémon grabbed its trainer’s shoulders and took to the skies.

If it was an aerial battle Zinzolin wanted, it was what he would get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you all for the wonderful support you’ve been providing. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d be super grateful if you shared this around with your friends as well, though; more feedback will only enhance my writing further. It’s a quest for growth in a way.
> 
> Now for the elephant in the room…
> 
> “Author, why are you late by a whole day??”
> 
> Breath of the Wild is an immaculate game. I’m gonna be real with you guys; I’m sucked in and my production came to a screeching halt the moment I booted this game I’ve had for months up on a whim. Sorry guys, but I don’t know if you’ll get another update these next few weeks.
> 
> Reason 1 is obviously BotW.
> 
> Reason 2, I woke up today with the nastiest wry neck I’ve had in my life. I’ve been screaming like a little bitch everytime I move wrong, and the pain is honestly unbearable enough that I can’t calibrate my keyboard depth perception out of my body screaming from tilting my head down at the keys. Typing this section out completely blind.
> 
> Another update on my life, and Reason 3; I’M FREE FROM THE ARMY. I’ve resolved my National Service, finished the two conscripted years, and am on the way to the next stage in life: University. What does this mean for the chapters? I don’t know. I do know, however, that I’ll be traveling back to my home country of India on November 6th and finally live with my family for a while (I’ve been living alone at home in SG since May). Super excited to see my doggos again too.
> 
> The culmination of these various factors might very well hamper my ability to update for the first week of November. Don’t worry, though, the break will not last that long; I’ll pry myself off BotW with all my mental strength and try nailing down Ch12 and taking my second seasonal break.
> 
> Sorry about the absurdly long A/N, but I figured I owe you guys an explanation. Really sorry about the tardiness.  
~ Ace ♤


	11. The Black Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rushed af release because Breath of the FUCKING Wild kept eating my editing time. I love hate this game so much ;-;
> 
> Please see ending Author’s note.

“Team Plasma…” growled Hugh. “I’m gonna kill each and every one of you!”

Hugh and Braviary ascended with mighty wingbeats towards the floating man, but such a frontal assault did not so much as shake the smile from Zinzolin’s face. He moved casually aside with the sky itself as a dance floor, and the winds formed cold whips to crack Hugh across his jaw.

Invisible air tore into Hugh and Braviary, reducing the Valiant Pokémon’s aerial supremacy to a joke. Icy shackles squeezed a cry of pain from the bird before another whiplash clipped its wings with frost. Both trainer and bird were cast aside, left to swim in the pain of a crater within the barn.

As Hugh coughed for breath, Zinzolin’s descent was slow, and the hems of his purple overcoat flapped gracefully.

The boy cursed under his breath; he hadn’t so much as seen what had shot him out of the sky, but he felt certain death at his throat the moment he moved to rise. Weavile grinned into his very soul, the tip of its claw ready to rip his throat open. Jagged icicles further encased Braviary in a prison from which it would not escape, muffling its final cries from the planes of perception.

“For all that show, you didn’t really amount to much…” mused Zinzolin. “How utterly disappointing. It’s better to stay forgotten than linger in the memory of a weakling like you.”

Hugh snarled at his gentle laughter. “Shut up… I’m gonna kill you, Plasma scum!”

“Will you? Will you really?” scoffed the sage, taking amusement aplenty in the defeated boy’s plight. “Take a good, long look at yourself, kiddo.”

One wrong move meant death. This was a deadlock.

“That’s right… you’re at my utter mercy ~ Now don’t get this twisted and feel too bad… it’s not that you made any fatal mistakes or anything, no ~ the fact of the matter’s simple!

“You. Can’t. Beat. Me.

“It’s no fault of yours. A lot of little children make this mistake, so it’s just the duty of us adults to educate the next generation.”

“You piece of shit…”

“Watch your language, boy. Is that any way to address an adult’s charity? I don’t do this for everyone, you know?”

Hugh grabbed the weavile’s wrist, but felt a stinging chill engulf his hand. He could only scream as the intense cold burnt slowly onto the top layer of his skin. Weavile, at its highest audacity, simply stood there and watched the boy squirm as his hand was frozen in place. 

On this same wavelength as Zinzolin, it wanted to see this troublesome child suffer.

* * *

The blizzard pelted Rosa without a seeming end, but through thick and thin, she held the stone close to her. It warmed her to a point, as did the hair now fully covering her back. Thin as these veils were, they only served to support her ironclad resolution of moving forward without reprieve.

What guided her through this blanket of snow, she couldn’t quite tell, but she trusted her gut with a zeal unlike anything she had felt before. She needed to find her friends, find them and exit this hellscape.

The snow had reached a foot in depth, and navigating through it was hard on her cracked ribs. Footsteps soon crunched into the snow, and Rosa felt her blood freeze. Her senses told her something clearly: She was surrounded.

“Look what we’ve found, boys!” laughed a Plasma grunt. “It’s a genuine quality Yuki-Onna!”

“Ain’t those the ice ghosts from back in Kanto?”

“Naw; my Nana told me they were from Sinnoh!”

“Up hers! Where’s yer Nana now, dumbass?”

The Grunt held solemn silence. “Sh-She’s dead, man…”

“… Whoa, dark. I’m sorry, bud,” said the other grunt. “To make it up to ya, I think I’ll kill this one!”

The snow was blown away by a woobat’s Gust attack, and Rosa barely stood her ground. She gritted her teeth when she saw seven Plasma Grunts alongside their watchog, sandile and woobat.

“Cheh, that’s quite a looker too,” chuckled one of the grunts. “We sure she’s a kid?”

The grunt’s friend laughed. “You really like ‘em that short?”

“Shit…” Rosa took a step back. She refused to send Percival out in its current condition, and she saw little other outlet. Wrapped protectively around the stone in her hands, Rosa prepared for the worst. _ Who am I kidding… this _ is _ the worst! _

“You degenerates can drool all you want… Watchog! Let’s give ‘er a Super Fang!”

* * *

The frost spread up the arm of a screaming Hugh, and the weavile next to him regulated the flow of the ice to make it as slow and painful as possible. Zinzolin allowed Hugh’s howls to resonate, smiling at the trauma he was carving into the boy’s mind.

“So, have you had enough?” asked the sage. “Or are you still out on that silly little revenge quest of yours? What’s the matter, boy? Cat got your tongue?”

Zinzolin kicked the boy down before cracking his half-frozen arm with a painful stomp and grind of his foot. Hugh flailed amidst his screams, feeling the bone in his arm snap and rip through his muscles.

“That’s right… let’s hear that song! You’ll kill me, will you? Huh? _ Come on! _ ** _Say it louder! I CAN’T HEAR YOU, WHELP!_ **”

Again and again, he stomped into Hugh, hitting his arm, head, chest and stomach with a relentless beating until the boy was a bloodied pulp leaking red into the snow. Weavile sniggered at the boy’s now silent screams, raising its arm to generate an icicle out of the moisture in the air. The vapour spiraled into the shape of a spike, primed for a killshot.

Leaning in, Zinzolin whispered into his barely conscious ear. “You idiot… for positively ruining my operation, I’m going to freeze you solid… and keep you as one of my many works of art! You’ll watch from the prison of your own existence as this boring region is plunged into the depths of chaos!

“Your life is over!”

Pitch black energy burst skyward before Weavile could deliver the icicle that would end it all. The sage and his pokémon turned in alarm.

Where Nate and his pokémon were unconscious, two black light pillars speared the heavens. Zinzolin avoided flying debris while Weavile shot the icicle at Nate, but tendrils of darkness whacked it aside. The light soon dissipated to reveal both trainer and pokémon advancing in a unified forward step, their bodies leaking a wispy darkness.

Even the learned sage had yet to see everything in this world. “What the… what’s going on here?”

The pure power emanating from the pair was something malicious. It came from a place of hate, and the chilling effect it had on the already cold air spoke for itself. Their terrible miasma was enough to send shivers down the spines of most hardened trainers.

“I didn’t see you there, boy. It looks like you’ve got fight left in you!” Zinzolin held nothing on his face but a demented curiosity. “Now, I don’t quite know what you’re trying to pull here, but you have my attention. Whatever it is, it’s definitely more promising than this dead meat…”

He floated away from Hugh’s unconscious body with a smug expression, looking completely unbothered by the flamelike aura oozing from the two.

Nate said nothing, instead pointing right at Zinzolin before Ray bulleted forward to strike at the man, but its knee met a spectral hand which grabbed the entirety of its thigh in mid-air. The Aura Pokémon snarled at this new development, overcome by a feral frenzy.

Shadows birthed the phantasmal form of a gargantuan ghost, whose single eye thirsted for further battle. The Aura Pokémon went flying, but regained balance with a somersault.

“Such haste, what a waste,” mused Zinzolin as his own pokémon took root in reality, its shadow a blight on all that lived. “What say, friend, you want to dance?”

Dusknoir’s piercing battlecry shook Floccesy Ranch.

* * *

Rosa had prepared for the worst — for the fangs to sink into her and reduce her to bleeding agony — but the pain never came. The cowering brunette suddenly felt the warmth of Sunlight.

A five-pronged star wreathed in flames crashed and downed watchog after woobat after sandile. The brunette’s saviour made impacts like firecrackers, inspiring confusion and pain in the grunts’ cries as their pokémon were pummeled into unconscious crisps.

“What the… what’s going on?” Rosa could not see through the snow very well, but she could hear bones cracking and embers smoldering. The ground around her legs felt damp, melted by overwhelming heat.

Her eyes slitted open, and figure amidst the inferno was… tiny. Around the size of a starter pokémon. Yet, the power it exhumed with unleashed flame was staggering. There was a distinct familiarity to the warmth.

“Good job, buddy!” called a voice from the snow. “Now let’s end this! Wild Charge!”

With flames turned into wild sparks, the tiny star jetted past Rosa’s visibility, and with the returning blizzard she lost sight of it.

Rather, she lost sight itself.

Incredible dizziness and nausea came over every fibre of her being, and while she stood fast in clutching her stone, her knees buckled. She expected to hit the snow hard. Instead, she felt a muscled arm around her. Cradled in its strength, she had a much needed moment of respite.

“Rise and shine, beautiful ~” rang a familiar voice. “You should keep your hair down more. It’s quite a look!”

Rosa wearily returned his smile, having had no clue how much she really needed to see another friend right now. For the third time tonight, she was alone and this close to death. “It’s you… thank goodness…”

* * *

Chains of ice lashed across the barn, but Nate wove around them with surgical precision. He moved as one with his lucario, wordless, without a quip or crack. From under his sleeve he drew twin escrimas before activating their electric charge. The chains could not approach the whirlwind of deterrent strikes.

There was nothing but an empty drive within his dead eyes, which focused completely on Zinzolin’s unimpressed face. Rather, they focused on what was beyond him and his corporeal expression; what lay beyond them all.

* * *

Woven together by shards of reality, the world Nate saw bathed in the light of a Black Sun — the third eye of the ethereal, faceless humanoid stringing his body along like a puppet. Corrupted Aura afflicted by his festering negativity loomed over him like the shadow of death.

_ Wh-What the— _

Bone-chilling silence gripped the Aura of Floccesy Ranch, which demanded retribution for its stained purity. Its palms converged upon Nate’s entire being.

His life flashed before his eyes, and in that moment, he recalled a voice from the distant past; from a simpler time.

**“Even a small amount, Nathan, will threaten your mind. That is when you must remember: You are the master of your Universe. So take control.”**

_ Tch… _ he recalled a warning vague in memory. _ You won’t take me… not today! _

Within his mind, he was the world’s ruler; such had been his training, such was what he had meditated tirelessly to master. Simply gripping the air manifested two spiked knives.

_ Alright, spooky, you’re in _ my _ house! Time to pay rent! _

He crossed his arms, doubled back, and hurled the sharp projectiles straight into the veins of the Aura, piercing it at vital points to allow the darkness to bleed out. Gripping the air once more, he linked himself to his thrown weapons with chains and ripped them out, causing the eruption of energy fountains from the construct attempting to crush him.

* * *

Nate’s escrimas flew with a throwing motion, bouncing off the walls to rip into the icy chains cast by Zinzolin. The sage hid his awe at this situation well. Behind him was his cryogonal, casting chains from its vapour state. It was how the man could float through the air, and dance through the sky with such ease.

Now, the two thrown sticks discharged immense heat and sparks, so they tore through the chains completely, severing them from Cryogonal.

“Damnit— what are you?” he gritted his teeth. “Dusknoir! Quit fooling around and finish that dog! Ominous Wind!”

Amidst swapping hands with the jackal at breakneck speeds, Dusknoir heard its master’s commands loud and clear. Ray was a formidable opponent, now that it had cloaked its basic strikes and bone swipes in raw energy, converted from its gargantuan Aura pool that drew from the Ranch itself. It saw the waves emanated by Dusknoir’s ego, along with shifts in air pressure and muscle twitches. This painted a precognitive image, making close quarters approach a complete impossibility for the spectre.

Dusknoir floated beyond Ray’s basic reach before opening the mouth on its belly. Its golden striations parted to reveal a singularity of darkness which exploded into frigid winds of absolute power. The hurricane brought forth spectral sickles which began sundering everything touched by the dark gales.

* * *

The Black Sun was within Nate’s reach. His surroundings melted into hyper speed, and the Aura now bent to his will. In drowning within this power, however, the boy’s radiant expression melted away, giving way to a cold countenance.

He saw beyond the tiny speck of Aura into the greater cosmos. All the lights in the heavens erupted together into a kaleidoscope to paint the image of a single man. His radiant smile was framed by teak brown locks, and his smooth complexion covered a muscular frame.

The image of his hero flashed before him.

Galaxies then gave into the vacuum of space, fading away into explosive supernovae. The Universe had begun to collapse, and in the desperation Nate felt within that moment, he reached out.

_ Dad! No! Come back… _ his pleas fell on deaf ears, for the cosmos did not care for the voice of people. _ Please… come back… _

The image of Hartwell Gray was twisting into nonexistence, and in his desperation to salvage it, to save the man, to see him once more, Nate forsook everything.

Even himself.

His efforts had been for nothing. The power of the Black Sun violated his form, and Hartwell’s image dissolved into a maelstrom of chaos.

** _Alright, Ray…_ **

* * *

** _“Alright, Ray…”_ ** commanded Nate, now in control of the massive power surging through their bodies. Their souls were in union. ** _“Use Dark Pulse!”_ **

Negative energy surged through their bodies, and with a single howl, Ray dissipated the phantasmal winds. The concentrated miasma forged a tempest of black rings, all of which burst forth from the lucario’s mouth. Dusknoir covered against an explosion that shredded the barn walls.

Wood gave way to the raging blizzard outside, while Nate and Ray advanced upon Zinzolin and a dazed Dusknoir respectively.

**_“Dark Pulse, again!”_ ** commanded Nate, as Ray now cloaked itself in the miasma of the rings.

Nate grabbed both his escrimas at inhuman speed before lunging at Zinzolin. The sage’s interest was piqued, but he quickly floated out of the way. Zinzolin’s eyes widened, though, when Nate used Aura to boost into a blur. The second stride, usually impossible after following through with a strike, nearly saw Zinzolin’s head pounded by a wild escrima swing.

“You little brat!” he barely dodged before sending Cryogonal’s chains after Nate. “I was going easy on you, but it looks like— Ungh—”

Dusknoir crashed into him.

Weavile lunged from the shadows at Nate, ready to slash open his throat, but Ray roared before staunching the attack with a descending Extreme Speed.

** _“NOW FINISH THEM! DARK PULSE!”_ **

Nate’s command preceded a feral howl from his partner. Ray got on all fours before producing a sphere of entropy with its mouth. Rings of lacquer exploded out of the endless black, but they concentrated at a point closer to the dazed pair and grew into an all-consuming beam of black death. The blinding light burnt a trail into the barn’s floor, threatening to swallow up Zinzolin, Dusknoir and even Hugh behind them.

Dusknoir had no time to dodge, so it stood its ground with an otherworldly warcry. Its belly opened up, exuding monstrous power to counteract the Dark Pulse. In turn, the beam expanded to gargantuan proportions before bending into the Ghost-type.

Zinzolin felt the heat of the intense attack whip against his face, and his lips flapped from the wind shock. “No… No no no! This is madness… Dusknoir! Push it back! PUSH IT BAAAAAACK!”

The light began overpowering Dusknoir.

* * *

Benga felt heat rise up his face as he received Rosa’s grateful smile. His boiling anger at those who would dare attack her had been spent on crippling each of them; Sol, had seen to this.

“So, uh…” Benga tried breaking the ice, noting her doubled posture and desperate clinging to the stone. “Everything okay? You look incredibly banged up for someone I just saved.”

“I ran into some trouble earlier,” Rosa sighed. “Why are you here? I thought you were going to some Treehollow place.”

“I’m not stupid enough to fall for your silly improvised act from back there. Gimme some more credit!” he laughed as Sol hopped on to his shoulder. “I figured you guys were up to something cool enough that you couldn’t tell me, so I decided to check on ya later that night.”

“We only left at midnight, though… where were you before that?”

“Ahaha,” he scratched the back of his head, averting his gaze. Benga remembered clearly how he overslept at his stakeout of the Pokémon Center. “I, uh, had something come up.”

She tilted a head at this. “Okay… well, I’m glad you showed up. I thought I was toast back there…”

Pain pulsed through her upper body, and he rushed to support her. “Wow… you got beat hard.”

“No, _ I _ beat that bitch hard!” she glared, before breaking into grumbles. “She just got a few lucky shots in is all…”

He knew better than to pry. “Alright then. So, where are the other two?”

“I’m headed to where they’re at right now. There’s no signal in this storm, so I can’t call to check in…”

“And how exactly do you know where they are?”

“I just… know.”

“What?”

She looked pleadingly into his eyes. “You need to believe me! I don’t know why, but I just know where Nate is…”

Benga could think of a thousand different retorts to that, but something within him compelled him to trust her eyes. They were weary, haggard, and utterly spent, but they held a flame unlike anything he had seen before.

No, he had seen it before; it was a determination to do whatever it took.

“Hm… alright, lead the way!”

“Wh-What? You’re coming with me?” she asked. “No! You can’t! It’s way too dangerous!”

Benga’s expression grew serious. “That’s exactly why I’m coming. I won’t let any of these bastards hurt you.”

“But—”

“Quit arguing! You’re not in any shape to fight either!” snapped the boy. He quickly placed a hand over his mouth when he saw her recoil, though. “I… I’m sorry. It’s just, I can’t stand seeing you like this.”

“N-No, it’s fine,” she shook her head. “I was being difficult… alright, follow m—”

“Going somewhere?”

The pair turned as Sol leapt off Benga’s shoulder. Both Rosa and Benga glared in the direction of the foreign voice, but even with Benga’s support, they had to take a step back from what they saw.

A small army of Plasma Grunts stood behind one who appeared to be their leader. The overwhelming numbers weakened Rosa’s knees again, and Benga broke a sweat even through the raging blizzard.

“You kids have mucked up our operation for long enough! I think it’s time I saw you dealt with!”

The advancing troupe let loose their watchog and woobat, ready to take aim and destroy the two children with a vicious combination of Hyper Beam and Air Cutter.

“Damn children…” he grumbled. “Men, make sure they don’t even find the bodies!”

“Holy shit…” Benga wiped his brow, his expression turning from startled to excited. Rosa raised a brow at the trembling boy next to her, but realised that both his other pokéballs around his neck were shaking as well. Despite the odds, this boy wasn’t scared in the slightest. “Hey, Rosa, change in plans.”

“H-Huh?”

“I’ll handle these bozos. You just go find Nate!”

“But—”

“He’s right ahead, ain’t he?”

“Y-yes, but…”

“Then go!” he commanded both Rosa and his two pokéballs, now in each of his hands.

Violent, crimson flashes unleashed two streaking blurs.

Wingbeats swathed through the thick snow before they drew a line in the sand, and the Earth then shook when a streamlined figure landed in front of the line.

“We won’t let a single asshole past this line!”

The airborne pokémon revealed itself with a warcry as a greyish brown avian with jet black feathers and a long, orange beak, while the beast on the land held draconian features with azure scales covering its jetlike body.

Larvesta, staravia and Gabite let off a terrifying pressure, rattling even this small army of Plasma Grunts. Rosa couldn’t help but ogle the scene with wide eyes.

“What’re you staring at? GO!”

Benga snapped her out of her awestruck trance, and she stood at attention against her better judgment, nearly dropping the stone she held. “Y-Yeah, alright—”

Before disappearing into the blizzard, though, she spoke to Benga one last time. “You’d better come out alive!”

“You can count on it!” smirked the boy, but she had already disappeared beyond earshot in the howling gales. “Alright… Sol, Marina, Sharrkan!

“TIME TO SHOW ‘EM OUR GUTS!”

* * *

Nate’s expression twisted into pure hatred, despite his friend being right behind his target, ripe and ready for utter evisceration. Seeing everything before him swallowed into the nothingness clutching him seemed to be the only thing the boy could focus on.

_ To think there was a child this twisted… _ Zinzolin’s expression was one of marvel.

The beam had begun overpowering Dusknoir. Behind it, both Zinzolin and an unconscious Hugh were within the crosshairs. The beam was too wide to run around, and too high to float over without invoking Nate’s attack. Pinned in place, the man trembled as the light from the attack began to engulf him.

“No… no no no no ** _NO_ **! You can’t do this to me! I refuse to admit defeat to a mere child! This can’t… THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING TO MEEEEE—” Zinzolin’s terrified expression then turned manic with glee. “Just kidding ~”

Dusknoir swallowed the entirety of the beam before belching it out as its own destructive ray. The Aura Pokémon snapped into motion, drawing forth a bone staff to split the deflected attack right in half. Its snarls shook its entire body as its Aura receptors went absolutely crazy.

Across it, Zinzolin floated upwards as his Dusknoir cracked its knuckles.

Nate spat to the side. ** _“Again, Ray… Dark Pulse!”_ **

“Is that the only move you know now, boy?” sneered Zinzolin. “Crush that filthy mutt! Ominous Wind, and then Ice Punch!”

The rings of lacquer were swallowed in the endless sickles within Ominous Wind, and Dusknoir advanced upon Ray and its twin bone staves with an unbridled thirst for blood. Its icy fists came down hard upon Ray, blasting the ground where it had stood into a bed of stalagmites.

Nate deftly avoided the incoming chains as Zinzolin ascended further, his Cryogonal latched firmly to his back. The Crystallizing Pokémon released another set of frigid links in order to pursue the agile brunet, but Nate leapt skywards, making them into footholds to burst straight at Zinzolin.

The Sage panicked when he saw this and immediately steered his pokémon right, narrowly avoiding a crushing kick to his head. “You little—”

Nate spun around at lethal velocity, his hatred trained directly on Zinzolin. ** _“Give my father BACK!”_ **

“What even—” the incoming heel threatened to behead the sage, but the impact never came.

Nate was instead grabbed out of the air and thrown straight into the barn wall, where the boy gagged before slumping from the cracks across his ribcage.

Zinzolin gawked as his saviour landed, rising to reveal his flowing white hair, and pitch black clothes. “You… you’re from the Shadow Triad! What are you doing here?”

Cold blue eyes gazed at the fallen boy, who struggled to get back on his feet. The shadow of a man scoffed before he disappeared and reappeared at the precipice of the destroyed barn roof. “Lord Ghetsis has judged that you took too long on this operation, so we were dispatched as backup. It appears our Lord’s judgment was not off.”

“Oh screw both of you!” spat Zinzolin. “I had this in the bag! You think that _ child _was any threat?”

‘Zinzolin’ then turned into an ice statue, which proceeded to explode into icicles — a death trap for Nate, had his kick followed through. The exploding icicles would have pierced through most of his vitals and killed him instantly.

“No…” the shadow’s eyes were already on the real sage, who stood across to his right. “But it never hurts to be sure.”

Zinzolin looked miffed at how he was underestimated, but concluded that they were ultimately on the same side. “Whatever… the Light Stone is nowhere on this Ranch. The operation’s a bust anyway. The only reason I haven’t left this dump is because that _ wench _ Misti didn’t rally the troops in time!”

“So this is our subordinate’s folly…” mused the Shadow. “My brother has moved to retrieve her at the last known position. We will depart on the Frigate at once.”

“What? All that manpower’s just lying cratered across the Ranch!”

“Then they can stay,” the Shadow replied coldly. “The weak are to be severed from the Grand Design. I thought this much was clear to you.”

Zinzolin’s eye twitched. “There comes a time where that philosophy wastes valuable resources… but I could care less. Fine; we’ll leave at once.” He motioned to his pokémon. “Dusknoir, quit playing around and finish that damn dog!”

Dusknoir held a battered and unconscious Ray, its hand crushing the Aura Pokémon’s head slowly. Its eerie cry was in acknowledgment to its master’s command, and it opened the mouth on its belly to begin charging a lethal Hyper Beam attack at point blank from Ray.

* * *

Rosa wheezed at the barn’s doorstep, but was absolutely horrified at the sight she beheld. The roof was blown open, Hugh was unconscious, Braviary was in icicles, Oshawott was unconscious, Nate was slumped against a wall, and Ray was about to eat a Hyper Beam from point blank.

The sheer horror on her face was beyond words, and yet, she knew she couldn’t stand there and do nothing.

_ Percival… I’m sorry! _

It was her only pokémon, so she unleashed it upon the unsuspecting Dusknoir. Both Zinzolin and the Shadow had been absorbed in conversation, so they never detected the incoming serpent slamming Dusknoir straight in the face with Iron Tail. Percival strained in its stance, but with the poison out of its system and both Ray and Braviary in their condition, it was the most battle-ready here.

Disoriented, Dusknoir pushed itself out of the wall, and Zinzolin scowled at the barn door. “You… how many of you little pests are in this Ranch?”

Rosa gritted her teeth, ignoring the man. “Don’t let up! Dragon Pulse!”

“Not so fast, wench!” growled Zinzolin, as Weavile dashed forth from behind him, revealing the crater Ray had made earlier as empty.

Rosa approached Nate’s slumped figure before receiving Percival’s full weight slammed against her “AUGH—”

The two were sent straight into the wall next to Nate, and Rosa could only hold on tightly to the stone while Percival fell unconscious on top of her. Every fibre of her burnt in agony as her ribs struggled to keep themselves together.

Weavile returned to Zinzolin’s side, smirking evilly with the frosty fumes dissipating around its claws.

“Ugh… Nate…” Rosa’s vision blurred. “Hey… hey, Nate…” but what she saw when it cleared horrified her.

This was not the Nate she knew. His eyes didn’t even see her, and his gaze averted to spear the Shadow who had thrown him before. They were venomous with contempt.

It made Rosa fear for the worst. “Nate!”

He rose and dusted himself off, before lunging forward at the Shadow of Plasma.

* * *

Nate’s body flowed with Floccesy Ranch’s Aura, but his opponent read his every move with ease. The Shadow ducked under a hook, palmed the knee, and narrowly dodged the ascending kick, allowing Nate to flow into a stance that parried his incoming punches perfectly.

“You…” the shadow noted the expression on Nate’s face, and a faint recognition flashed through his eyes. “I see…”

The man kicked the shorter boy in the gut to send him flying, but Nate regained footing, grabbed his escrima, and dashed forward once more.

** _“GIVE BACK MY DAD! NOW!”_ **

“Your body is well past its limit,” the Shadow countered every advance of Nate’s martial form, blocking punch after thrust after low kick with pinpoint accuracy before he drew a curved knife. “Sleep.”

A chop to Nate’s neck sent him sprawling forward, and the shadow moved to kill the downed boy then and there.

“NATE!” screeched Rosa, still unable to move under Percival’s weight. She fidgeted desperately for her partner’s pokéball to get it off her.

“You studied under _ him _…” said the Shadow. “You’ll become a threat soon enough.”

He brought down the finishing blow, but the Aura woke Nate up, and he barely moved his head out of the way. The Shadow then received a kick to the gut to blow him off.

Still, he landed on his feet. “Tch…”

“Oh thank God…” Rosa managed to find the pokéball and withdrew her partner.

She then dashed forward after seeing Dusknoir’s recovery, tackling straight into Nate to narrowly avoid the Hyper Beam Attack fired from behind. The shadow disappeared before the beam and reappeared alongside Zinzolin, who was still scowling at the two children.

The pair fell into the snow, with Rosa hugging the stone in one hand while using the other to keep Nate down.

“Please… don’t get up…” Rosa saw he was hurt beyond measure; she could feel his uneven chest and see the various bruises that covered him. Yet, Nate pried her arm painfully off himself before moving against his body’s cries to stand. “Agh— N-Nate…”

Dusknoir floated to Zinzolin’s side as he addressed the Shadow. “Quit wasting your time. I’ll end this myself!”

At the sage’s command, Dusknoir began to charge another Hyper Beam attack, priming itself to eviscerate both the children.

The shadow looked unimpressed at this, but shrugged. “Very well…”

Materialised behind the two men was an enormous metal hull. Spiked appendages from the ship’s lower section let loose jets of power to burn away the base of the barn where they stood, replacing their foothold with the aerial control panels of the sail ship that was the Plasma Frigate. Rosa covered her eyes before the ignition let loose by the spiked tips of the flight modules.

The remaining two Shadows materialised beside the first, and the Triad watched on as Dusknoir had finished charging its Hyper Beam.

Zinzolin’s face contorted into a sick smile. “Time to die, kids!”

* * *

Nate’s advance was not unlike a zombie’s, and Rosa saw that he was going to throw his life away. Her heartbeat spiked, and anger welled up within her. She had failed to stop Hugh, failed to protect Percival, failed to protect the stone, and had to get bailed out on both occasions by dumb luck. Thrice this night, she had almost died, reduced to dead weight while others worked twice as hard to make up.

Nate, Hugh, Benga, she was tired of watching them save her.

She resolved at that moment that she would be the one to save Nate. To snap him out of this madness. How? She had no idea. She only had an uncannily strong gut instinct.

Irregardless of the battle going on, she placed the stone down before wrapping her arms around Nate from behind.

“Please! Stop… you promised me you wouldn’t die!”

A soft ivory light enveloped them both as their Aura resonated. The part of Floccesy Ranch’s power which Nate had loaded into her at the last second now came rushing back to the main reserve.

* * *

Black and White swirled into one another, and sunset was upon Nate’s world. A salvaging flame wreathed him in new life before the Black Sun faded from over his sense of self. His lone, decrepit mind finally received Rosa’s light.

The very light that had guided her to him.

* * *

With Rosa’s arms wrapped around him, the dark miasma clutching Nate’s being evaporated, and in his next few breaths pumped clarity back into his eyes. For the first time since they started their journey, Nate dropped his guarded disposition and melted right into her embrace.

Rosa nearly fell over from Nate’s weight, both the happiness and pain it brought her battered form. She staggered and struggle to stay standing.

“Cheh… You’re heavy, you asshole!”

Then, she looked up at the blinding light, and her expression instantly grew stricken by fear.

“Oh God…”

Dusknoir unleashed its destructive beam, ready to swallow both Nate and Rosa whole and reduce them to ash. Nate breathed what he believed to be his last. He was completely drained.

“Thanks… bunhead.”

Much to Rosa’s dismay, he supposed this was it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, ending Author’s Note is here. As said before, I’ll be on a flight on November 5th night/November 6th morning (like 0230hrs), and I will be taking the next week off from updates to a) finish the next chapter; and b) spend time with my family who I haven’t seen for months.
> 
> Now, the important thing I wanted to say was that there’s a Q&A coming after Ch12, where I will be answering questions as a bonus chapter. This will not affect release of chapters, as Chapter 12 will be a seasonal break for the end of the second arc. Yeah, this madness finally concludes next chapter.
> 
> Anyway, the format for this Q&A is simple — you can ask questions in two mediums:
> 
> 1\. Characters only, so no author involvement. You speak to my children directly. To ask this format, just address the character directly. Eg. Rosa, what shampoo do you use to keep your hair that way?
> 
> Don’t ask the example question pls, I’m not a cosmetic person and will need to do research.
> 
> 2\. Author only, so you ask me directly. To ask this format, address the author. Eg. Author, why are you so awesome?
> 
> The answer to that is because this universe’s shittiness needed a balancing force.
> 
> Jk you guys are more awesome for reading my stuff.
> 
> But yeah, that should do it. Save for the flight dates, I will be contactable. Same stuff, Discord is Ace#4566 and twitter handle is @AUH_Aceu. I’m so sorry for how rushed the Author’s Notes are, but blame Breath of the Wild for being too good a game.
> 
> Please have a wonderful rest of the day!  
~ Ace ♤


	12. Horizon's Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. That was a nice couple of weeks with family. Lots of stuff was done and all but now we come back to this! And this time, I’m not crunched af for time.
> 
> To start off, thanks a bunch for the support on the Q & A! I got a lot more questions than I honestly thought I would, so now writing that update is looking hella daunting xD Don’t worry, though, we’ll get there.
> 
> Also, this chapter is o b e s e, due in part to me wanting to apologise for skipping the deadline twice. I’m really sorry about that.
> 
> So, Imma insist that you do check out the Author’s Notes at the end. Important stuff there regarding the future of this story.
> 
> Oh, and before we continue, I'd like to kill any confusion that might occur — the beginning of this chapter is a perspective twist on the ending of the previous one.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!  
~ Ace ♤

The Plasma Frigate’s light-refracting cloak unveiled its sheer weight in ascent and sent howling storm winds across the Ranch. Trees were ripped from their roots and blown away by the massive hull, tearing apart even the reinforced Barn Walls. Materialised alongside the lustring vessel was an apocalypse set upon the quaint peninsula.

Team Plasma’s technological advancement had culminated over two discrete years, for the Frigate was a scientific marvel of quantum turbines which drew on the flux of diametric particle beams. Liquid Helium surged through thermal conduits which ran along superconducting electromagnets, which further fed the colossal chassis of the vessel’s flight unit with a Hadron Collider.

Zinzolin stood hand on hat upon the panels preceding the main deck, frowning upon the silent Shadow Triad as Dusknoir built up energy towards the children’s doom. “Tch… have you louts got nothing better to do? Man the goddamn control room! We lost well over two hundred men, and this ship won’t fly itself!”

The triad leader’s eyes narrowed. “Do not presume to issue us orders, Zinzolin. Know your place.”

“Our loyalties lie with Lord Ghetsis alone.”

“We are servants to  _ his  _ decree, not yours.”

Zinzolin’s lip twitched. “Imbeciles… isn’t it ‘Ghetsis’ will’ that we abandon these resources and pull back? I’ll handle these children myself, so go make yourselves useful!”

Though they glared the sage down, all three shadows disappeared without a word, for there rang truth in Zinzolin’s ravings. With the three gone, Zinzolin saw it fit to bask in the moment, allowing the updrafts to sway silver locks beneath the headdress he held on to. His eyes gleamed a wicked azure looking down upon Nate and Rosa, who were immobile and prostrate before their fates. Little could encapsulate the catharsis he felt in such an act.

“Now Dusknoir… end them! Hyper Beam!” The reaper’s call tolled the bells of death, and Dusknoir’s open belly drew curtains upon the specks before its grandeur. The singularity at the core of its existence ejected a massive load of built-up energy, twisting and spiralling into a ray of destruction. “TIME TO DIE, KIDS!”

* * *

Nate felt like a sack of bricks in Rosa’s arms, as the all-consuming light blossomed into a black flower before her eyes. It would swallow them whole at this rate.

Her lungs burning, she held both friend and stone close to her before throwing her back in front of the attack. If any part of them could be saved, it was enough.

Death’s cold fingers caressed her, and her mind played back memories both good and bad. Her journey up to this point was about to be rendered inert, and one disgusting thought lingered in her mind.

She didn’t want to die.

Not without seeing her brother, without hashing things out with her friends, without ever seeing her mother again.

She didn’t want to die.

Her eyes shut tight, prepared for excruciating demise.

* * *

Benga wiped sweat drops from his forehead, standing fast alongside his partners before heaps and heaps of Plasma Grunt now unconscious. His clothes were tattered from navigating multiple treacherous attacks to issue competent commands. Of course, they had prevailed, but it had taken everything they had.

The Plasma Frigate’s engines then roared to life, and the ascending vessel tore into the Ranch with vicious wind shock. Benga and his pokémon barely held on for dear life.

“Argh… What even… what’s going on there?” one look at his staravia curbed his initial impulse command because it was plain as day that the winds were beyond its navigational powers. “Shit… that  _ can’t _ be good…!”

He took a brave step forward, fighting against all odds to keep a footing in his advance. His three pokémon cried out as they supported him from behind.

When all hope looked lost, Benga saw it. A blazing comet streaked through the skies, parting the clouds and melting away the snow within that very flash. Temperatures skyrocketed, and what felt like the Tundra itself was swallowed up in the heat of a Desert.

Searing hot winds blew him and his pokémon off their feet.

* * *

Nate saw a blossoming flower threatening to consume them in a wave of death through the drooping slits that were his eyes. It all looked so hopeless, and he felt the burden of blame now that his head was clear. He had failed everyone. Hugh, Ray, even Rosa, who now desperately protected him.

“Run, bunhead,” he croaked. “I got nothing left in me right now… save yourself.”

“Quit that crazy talk!” Rosa clenched her teeth. “That’s exactly why I won’t! We're friends, aren't we? You said we were! I’m not letting you die!”

He wanted to argue, but the scenery shifted suddenly. Dusknoir’s Hyper Beam began scorching up from within as a second flower bloomed. Its six crimson petals unleashed tornadoes of fire which clawed into the beam and crushed it into a chain explosion that lit the skies ablaze.

* * *

Zinzolin gritted his teeth in a scowl. “One after the other… Curse you!”

Dusknoir’s abdomen blew the smoke off as it began to recover from the recoil of its own attack, alongside the explosion that had gone off inside it. Still, its singular eye glared down this mysterious intruder. Then slowly, its annoyance twisted into a perverse excitement.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” asked Zinzolion. “This is why I don’t send you out often. Alas, your attitude might be necessary here.”

His eyes scanned the smoke with intense scrutiny.

“Looks like this one’s got a little more  _ bite  _ than the fodder that’s greeted us so far.”

* * *

Rosa was knocked forward beside him, and scrambled to a position that wasn’t agonising. Both the battered trainers could only gawk at the smouldering embers eating away at the remnants of Dusknoir’s assault. An overwhelming pressure emanated from their saviour, who basked in the radiance of ten Suns, shining simultaneously in blinding luminosity.

The light left spots in their eyes, but they could make out the gargantuan atlas moth with six wings and a flaming core. A shaggy white overcoat adorned its upper body and black striations ran along the azure segments of its abdomen.

“Good work, Helios old chum! Looks like we’ve still got it!” The intense light left only his silhouette, but clarity lay in this being the moth’s trainer. His burly frame came into focus as he jumped down from the ruins of the barn to Nate’s and Rosa’s side. “Well, well, my little band of thieves bit off a little more than they could chew, eh?”

“Mr Alder…” Rosa wanted to cry when she heard Alder’s jolly bellow. Nate simply sighed out in relief.

“You sure took your time, old man…”

“WAHAHA! Now don’t be that way, young Nathan. Don’t the ‘chicks’ dig heroes arriving at the last minute?”

Both Nate and Rosa could only twitch their eye at his attempt at youth, before deciding to just appreciate the existence of an attempt. His help too, of course. Rosa chose to forget what had just happened in favour of pulling out her Pokédex.

_ “Volcarona, The Sun Pokémon,” _ said the Dex.  _ “This pokémon is the evolved form of Larvesta. According to legends, it was hatched from a flaming cocoon to save people and Pokémon that were suffering from the cold. Thought to be an embodiment of the sun, it appeared during a bitterly cold winter and saved Pokémon from freezing. It was worshipped by the ancient Unovans as a deity of the Sun, and can output power equivalent to a miniature star.” _

So this, thought Rosa, was the kind of power Benga would possess in the future. Simply being in this pokémon’s presence set her at ease; at least it wasn’t the enemy.

* * *

“Well, well,” sneered Zinzolin. “Look what the cat dragged in! It’s good old Alder — the loser  _ dog _ who left the League in disgrace… so, this is where you decided to hide away, eh?”

Alder sighed. “You know, I’ve been on the road for decades… doesn’t matter where I go, though, there’s always someone ready to harm others.

“I’d heard from a friend of Team Plasma’s resurgence, but… I can’t say I remember  _ your _ face, chummy. You a new recruit?”

Momentarily, Zinzolin went red in the face with rage, and even Rosa chuckled in the heat of the situation, but the sage was quick to regain composure.

“… As witty as ever. Sadly for you, it hardly matters whether or not you remember me, because I see no future to a disgraced recluse of a Champion spending the end of his days at a  _ farm _ ! Did N  _ spank  _ you that hard? A joke like you should just stay out of the picture and disappear on our command.”

Alder’s expression hardened, but loosened in the same motion into another fit of laughter.

“I really didn’t think Plasma took on freshers at retirement age; Ghetsis is losing his touch.” The vessel was primed for liftoff, and the former Champion was fully aware of the fact. “Pleasant greetings aside, the  _ real  _ joke here is you thinking I’m about to let you escape. Helios, Fiery Dance!”

Dusknoir had recovered just in time to feel in full the heat emanating off of Helios. The snow evaporated mid-fall, churning into an almost scalding rainstorm. Flames erupted from the orifices behind its wings, coating it in a scorching fire.

Pillars of heat burst through the murky clouds, heeding the solar deity’s call. Soon, they wreathed themselves in a blaze of crimson, spinning forth at speed and power enough to melt the Frigate where it stood.

Zinzolin’s eyes narrowed. “Tch… Dusknoir, use Ominous Wind!”

Sickles of death manifested within the Gripper Pokémon’s shadow before relentlessly grinding against the pillars of fire. Spectral slashes tore space open in pockets as eruptions of energy were swallowed into the abyss beyond Heaven and Hell. Dusknoir’s maw consumed all.

“Now Ice Punch!”

Dusknoir’s balled fists let loose blasts of cold that lashed out across the ranch. Helios wavered from the oppressive cold as lingering wisps of the Ominous Wind exploded into snowflakes which froze solid all that they touched, condemning it to frigid eternity.

Alder scooped up a horrified Nate and Rosa on a shoulder each before booking it out of the path of one such projectile. Rosa whimpered as she held on to the stone as best as she could, but was quickly silenced by the horrifying sight of splayed icicles where the snowflake had landed.

“Shit,” Nate gritted his teeth. “That guy’s a monster…”

Alder beamed at him. “Now, now, this old man isn’t out quite yet!”

“Deluding yourself down there, Alder  _ old chum _ ?” cackled Zinzolin. “I can’t quite hear you, but you’re hardly the poster child for unpredictability, now! Go on! Reassure them with your false power! It’ll make Unova’s reckoning all the more amusing!”

The old man all but ignored Zinzolin before gazing sadly at the battered figures of trainers Cheren had put in his care.  _ He  _ had let this happen… by so severely underestimating the threat to them all.

“M-Mr. Alder…” Rosa pleaded in a rasp. “Please, don’t—”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head over me, lass.” He ruffled her hair gingerly before flashing her a reassuring smile. “You did great for what it was, and I’m truly sorry for not coming sooner. Now… leave the rest to me.”

Rosa was left there to support a slumping Nate.

* * *

Once he rose, a frosted breath escaped his lips. Time then crawled when his eyes shot a fearsome glare up at the Frigate. Unova’s former champion unleashed a pressure that sent waves of terror across the land, even scrambling birds in the far distance from silent thunderclaps.

“It seems you terrorists still don’t get the point,” snarled Alder. “You’re absolutely right… I  _ did _ fail against N in the past. Zekrom’s power overwhelmed both the Elite Four and myself. For all those who placed hopes in us, we failed them miserably.

“But… that doesn’t excuse Plasma of the crime of ignorance! Ghetsis turned out to be nothing but a power-hungry madman, and poor Hilbert paid the price for that.

“Don’t you see? Power gained through a lifetime of trials is meant to guide and nurture the next generation! Not rule a temporary regime of material traps.”

Zinzolin stood his ground. “… Rule? You must be joking… is this one of your famous sermons, O’ disgraced pastor? Are you  _ preaching _ to me?”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. Now that I look at you, though, it doesn’t seem like you’re in a listening mood.”

“No, no, this is most amusing ~ do go on. Indulge my curiosity!”

“Curiosity?” Alder’s teeth gritted and his fists clenched. “Is that why you’re doing this?”

“Why of course!” Zinzolin laughed. “What kind of human shell doesn’t feel such a thing?

“Dear sweet  _ loser _ , my mind is far simpler than that of a megalomaniac like Ghetsis!  _ I _ simply wish to know things! To witness first hand… the very precipice of human evolution!

“Think about it — day in and day out, the sham that is modern life has reduced the good people of this region to mere robots! Slaves to the corporate regime, working nine to five, waiting to earn a paycheck they’ll blow over a weekend at the bar!

“In fact, this backwater island’s got the most life I’ve seen in years! It’s a damn shame I had to  _ snuff some of it out _ .”

Alder narrowed his eyes. “Making base terrorism sound this noble… are we rehashing old tricks, now?”

“Hardly. Don’t compare me to the likes of that freak N! I told you, it’s a lot simpler!” Zinzolin’s smile exuded a coy sense of pity at Alder’s seeming lack of understanding. “I only wish to know… what these  ** _filthy drones_ ** would do if their very  ** _world_ ** froze over!

“When the assets they hold so dear are rendered null and void… when their collective diplomatic strength becomes a liability in a ruined reality… when the very  _ core _ of their lives turns from a dredging cycle to a fight to preserve existence! Just imagine the chemical evolution of their mindset! Imagine, Alder, the bonfire of self-destruction that will raze Unova to the ground! The fireworks… the emotions… the sheer  _ chaos _ !

“ _ That _ is what I wish to be witness to!  _ That _ … would be a true reminder of our existence!”

Alder’s eyes reflected a pang of compassion when he viewed Zinzolin’s very heart born forward. Narrowed to slits, they hollowed this monster out for the anarchistic sadist he truly was. This was no human being, but an agent of chaos and destruction.

“My, that’s quite the expression you have there,” Zinzolin sniggered. “Now that you’re fully in the loop of what I’m about… what’re you going to do about it,  _ huh _ ? You petulant mongrel!”

Alder clenched his fists. “I’m going to ask you: Why tell me all of that?”

A single brow rose on Zinzolin’s face.

“It’s evident that you’re insane,” continued Alder. “Plus, your ship’s long since been ready for takeoff. So… why waste all this time?”

Zinzolin was silent a few seconds, frowning deeply at the man standing below him. Their eyes stayed interlocked in a war of minds, each reading into the other’s true intentions.

“Alder, you’ve been a uniquely avid listener yourself. It makes me wonder…” then came the mutation of expression. From ear to ear, his crescent-shaped lips curled into a devilish smile. Eyes once calm and collected gave way to unhinged madness, glimmering under jaundiced moonlight where Dusknoir’s shadow birthed new nightmares within the world behind those sickly striations. “Have we been on the same wavelength all along?”

Alder returned the smile with one of his own, “As I suspected.”

His raised fingers snapped, and the icy coat forming over Helios to burst into a steam eruption. The mist was blown away as it formed, twisting into convection pockets that tore into the cloud cover. A chilly breeze like this hardly tickled the Sun Pokémon.

Blinding light pulsed into a condensed sphere, covering Helios in the twisting power of Hydrogen fusion reactions which when localised, turned its very being into a miniature star.

“You’re no passive observer. Deep down, you’d rather light this ‘grand bonfire’ yourself,” Alder’s orange hair billowed harshly in the sweltering updraft of a desert. “So on Unova’s behalf, allow us to give you a hand…

“Helios, use Fiery Dance!”

* * *

Helios seared through the skies, its body a means to destruction as it threatened to capsize the Frigate in one blow. The Atoms around the atlas moth were excited to a point of chaining explosions on a quantum level, making the sphere around it an unapproachable death zone where all was burnt to nothing.

The Frigate Control Room broke into pandemonium as the engineers and scientists viewed a live feed of this battle. The effects of Alder’s attack had already seeped into the vessel, as overall temperatures rose to a sweating point for even the thin-coated support crew.

“Sir, the Superconductors are melting!” cried a scientist.

“Then fix them, you oaf!” the head technician fumed as he struggled with a conduit ripped from its network. 

Monitors displayed spiking levels of various compounds brought about by the sudden temperature rise. Pressure chambers lapsed and hissing gas chambers releasing excess heat echoed throughout the engine room. The alarm for a code red blared as the lights tinted the interior a flashing crimson.

“Third valve’s got a leak! Too much heat!”

“Coolant pipes burst at sub-sections three and seven!”

“Release notches four and five are jammed!”

“We’re at risk of terminal vessel failure, sir!”

Amidst this turmoil, one person took command as he emerged from the shadows. An icy silence gripped the crew notwithstanding the multiple system glitches continuing to pile on, for the azure gleam in the man clad in black hushed all those who valued their lives.

The Shadow then talked, “Mission report, now!”

“S-Sir!” the head technician’s face was pale. “Lord Zinzolin holds the master control to authorise takeoff! Our orders were to stand by until he transmitted next!

“B-But at this rate…”

“What is that fool thinking…?” the Shadow squinted. “Tch. Fine, make sure the preparations are seen through and pull this ship together. I want it functional for a tactical retreat.”

“But sir, the damage is—”

“Get. It. Done.”

A premonition of death was all that lingered as the man vanished. The technical team now scrambled to solve the many problems plaguing the Frigate.

Fear was an excellent motivator, after all.

* * *

Zinzolin and Dusknoir looked excitedly upon the small star Helios had turned its body into. The marvel of the ancient Fiery Dance technique was on full display. A single move turned into a swiss army knife which harnessed fire into a variety of attack patterns to suit the situation. Furthermore, the atomic energy elevation caused brain chemistry shifts which removed bodily limiters, permitting even greater power exertion as the battle went on.

Volcarona as a pokémon inherently held strength worthy of a Champion.

“Such power…” Zinzolin muttered. “It’s only right for us to respond, Dusknoir!”

Heeding its master’s call, Dusknoir revealed its own hand as its striations flashed a bright crimson. Extended use of the move Ominous Wind brought forth untold latent power within its user, the level of which far exceeded the ancient dance of flames. Residual power from the spirits crushed to generate the move had entered Dusknoir, bolstering its strength to legendary levels.

“MEET IT HEAD ON!  ** _DARKEST LARIAT_ ** !”

Screaming souls from the Spirit World comprised a warcry as their forms were rent from rest and twisted into bony armour around Dusknoir’s shoulder. A phantasmal horned skull rattled at the precipice of vertebrae coiling around its bicep, reinforcing Dusknoir’s offence with leeched vitality. Malicious aura enwrapped the Gripper’s form, and it flew headfirst into the photon geyser of Helios’ energy.

Their clash was visceral, perceived by the very core of Floccesy Ranch. Two colossally powerful attacks upheaved the lands and tore into spacetime, their repeated collisions at a standoff in the grey skies. Alder’s measured gaze analysed every aspect of the battle, and his expression grew grim. Clouds once blown apart were reforming, and hail pelted both combatants brutally during the battle, but the Darkest Lariat’s horns bludgeoned Helios while its bony armour simultaneously safeguarded Dusknoir’s striking arm. The life force of departed souls bolstered the Gripper’s defences further.

This war of attrition was in no way an advantage.

Dusknoir produced a pitch-black orb in its unused hand, bringing to this world all-consuming darkness that sucked away a layer of Helios’ energy. The horned skull then pounded into a vulnerable thorax, sending it careening into a crater in the ground. Radiant heat simmered to a pulsing warmth as it lay there, twitching.

“A  _ solar deity _ , huh?” sneered Zinzolin. “You’re truly showing me why a freshly awakened  _ Zekrom  _ pounded you senseless, Alder. It’s time you gave up… and accepted your fate!

“Dusknoir, finish this! Hyper Beam!”

* * *

Rosa watched with dread as the beam that almost killed her started forming once more within Dusknoir’s open abdomen. Her lower lip quivered and her body trembled as she hugged the stone tight. The only thing that saved her from bottomless fear and the frigid air was a warm hand on her shoulder.

Nate shot her a reassuring gaze. “It’s gonna be fine… trust Alder.”

“Wh-What? Look at that! He just lost!” she cried. “It… it’s too soon! We… we just started out! I’ve got so much I wanna—!”

“Were you always this much of a girl?” Nate chuckled. “Maybe Benga isn't totally dead in the water.”

“… Huh?” she tilted her head, confused at how he could joke in such a situation.

“Just trust the old man,” said Nate. “I don’t think he’s quite given up yet.”

Rosa couldn’t help but see the hopelessness of the situation. Yet, this boy just smiled through it for some reason. She had seen this before, not too long ago.

Nate had been this way since he was a little boy. Always steadfast even in the face of people one might call monsters. He never wavered from his instinct.

“How…?” Rosa's teeth gritted at her own weakness, and her arms tightened around the stone. “You did this with Hugh, me… even with that creep on the rooftop that one time!”

“How do you—”

“How can you be so sure about everything?” she shrieked. “We could all die!”

Nate's expression softened from his surprise, and a foggy sigh escaped him. “How’d you manage to find your way to this Barn?”

This left her silent in awe for entire seconds. “I just knew…”

“Same thing here,” he shrugged. “Lighten up a bit. We're gonna make it.”

Rosa suddenly heard a heartbeat in resonance with the warmth now filling her. The spark returned to her eyes when she gawked down at the stone in her embrace. It thumped against her chest once again.

Her grip grew frantic. “What… what's going on?”

The ‘stone’ had begun letting off an intense warmth of its own, almost in response to Rosa's suddenly welling determination. Streaks of light soon spread cracks all over its surface, much to the brunette's horror.

The ‘Light Stone’, thought to be Reshiram itself, was actually breaking apart.

Rosa recalled Cheren's words:  _ “The Pokédexes each of you possess can scan the stone. As Hilbert was once the owner to Reshiram, his Pokédex has added the dragon's data to our main database.” _

Quickly drawing her Pokédex, she got a read on the quivering, cracking stone.

_ “Life form incomplete. Running Helical Scan… Scanning… Scanning… Fire Element: Match found.” _

“What?” Rosa sounded outraged. “What do you mean ‘Life form incomplete’?”

“Means that isn't the Light Stone,” Nate said, his eyes having regained some focus. “What'd you even pick up?”

“I thought it was the Light Stone! I fought this really strong asshole to get it!”

Before they could continue, the stone unleashed a blinding flash, and a pillar of light speared the murky skies.

* * *

Alder's calm in his situation turned to a smile on his face when he sensed the clouds beginning to melt away. There was not even a necessity to turn; he felt the tides turning within his bones.

Zinzolin took a step back as Dusknoir continued charging its attack. “What the… What're you trying to pull here?”

“You don't feel it one bit, do you?” smirked Alder, his eyes narrowing. “Take it in. Get a nice, long look.”

Rays of sunlight shone through the cloud cover. Sunrise was upon them all, and it mercilessly cut through the storm clouds plaguing the battlefield.

“Those are the winds of change. The very same winds you dubbed monotonous and boring… they’re about to blow you off your feet!”

* * *

Rosa’s eyes were wide as saucers as she saw the letters spell themselves out on the screen.

_ “Ability Activation detected… _

_ “Scanning… Scanning… _

_ “Identification Complete. Loading cross-reference results.” _

Numbers ran across the screen, drawing both the teens’ attention.

_ “Ability identified as  _ **Drought** _ . Matches found in National Mode; Subject Codes  _ **#006** _ ,  _ **#037** _ ,  _ **#038** _ ,  _ **#324** _ and  _ **#383** _ . Narrowing results…” _

“Well, this  _ definitely _ ain’t the Light Stone, Rosa…”

“Come on! Just look at it—!” Rosa was in a panic, but still didn’t let go of the stone. It was almost glued to her body, spreading warmth and energy through her. Before she could process this soothing sensation, the pokédex beeped loudly.

_ “Pokémon Egg Hatch Successful. Helical Diagnostic loaded. Identification of life form complete.” _

* * *

The light touching Helios was enough to surge immense vitality through its bones, igniting a firestorm in each of its dimming scales. Blinding onlookers at the sky’s apex was a sphere of white-hot energy formed out of the light. A second Sun at horizon’s dawn.

A swirling twister of flames burst forth from Helios’ battered body before they dissipated to reveal the atlas moth’s true splendour. The technique on display meant certain doom to the user’s foes, as such intense sunlight allowed Morning Sun to heal all sustained wounds.

Zinzolin backed up another step, a glimmer of fear passing through his eyes as Helios’ body pulsated like molten iron, fresh from the sizzling forge. The sage was quick to recompose, however.

“You think I needed Hail to finish the job?” flared Zinzolin. “You’re a dead man, Alder!”

“Interesting stance. Then tell me: why did you step back?” asked Alder with a smile. Zinzolin’s teeth ground together as he was cut off. “I’ll tell you why. Your basest instincts told you… that this battle is over!”

“We’ll just have to see about that one!” With a violent swipe of the hand, Zinzolin beckoned his monster forward. “Fire, and end this farce!  ** _Hyper Beam_ ** !”

Dusknoir’s fists clashed together, dissipating the bony appendages and aura into further power which was swallowed and added to the maelstrom of chaos within its belly. Its striations then parted to unleash a violet stream of destruction which was spiked with lacquer and malice.

Alder kept his calm. “Helios, destroy it.”

Primed to strike, the atlas moth took in all the solar power around it as the energy field reformed. Breaking limit after limit when fueled by natural sunlight, the explosive reactions surrounding its body blue shifted.

“ ** _Overheat_ ** !”

Power gained from the Fiery Dance condensed into a blue sphere, which tore apart the visual spectrum before jetting forth as a beam of screaming white light. Molten stone flash-formed over the surface and gravel was reduced to sand, covering the ground in a layer of glass.

Visible from miles away, the pillar of energy skewered the very heavens above Dusknoir. There was no contest of power, only the scorching demise of the Hyper Beam attack. The Ghost-type’s anguished cries were burnt away in the storm of sparks and flame.

Where Dusknoir once floated, now stood a blazing sphere of fused helium, which consequently underwent quantum breakdown into an ember shower. Dusknoir fell into its pokéball’s retrieving beam.

* * *

_ “Vulpix, the Fox Pokémon,” _ read the Pokédex.  _ “These highly intelligent creatures are born with tails possessing mystical powers. The six tails they possess at birth further multiply at their tips as it grows. When held, this pokémon feels slightly warm, for inside its body burns a flame that never goes out. This pokémon can control fire with the mystical powers contained within its tails and possesses otherworldly abilities tying it closely to the spiritual plane. Legends dating back to the unified world speak of an ancient king with prophetic power, who dreamt of this pokémon bringing forth sunlight that altered fate. As a result, it is highly revered in many older cultures.” _

Rosa could only stare open-mouthed at the creature yawning while cradled comfortably in her arms. Shards of the ‘stone’ she held now lay scattered across the ground, slowly burning up as they disintegrated.

Its features were sharp, even for a pokémon which had breathed its first breath. A tuft of its maroon hair stood out upon its delicate, shapely head.

The fox pokémon purred softly at Rosa’s confused face before licking her affectionately — almost gratefully — for taking care of it all this time.

“Would ya look at that,” Nate laughed. “He likes you!”

“I…”

“Well, that pretty much seals this whole thing being a bust.”

In truth, not even he had seen this coming. It was the sight of life being born that had mesmerised him into forgetting his own surprise.

Rosa, in the meantime, didn’t know what to make of this situation. In her hands was now a baby pokémon. Of course, this meant that they were back to square one on the Light Stone; the operation had failed. Still, seeing the newborn vulpix drinking her face in with those almond eyes left her unable to feel anything ill towards the creature.

She pulled it close into an embrace, letting out confused sobs. For once, she had no idea what to feel.

Nate’s sympathetic gaze was all he could offer to the occasion.

* * *

Benga’s eyes widened when he saw another swarm of people approach. The Barn was suddenly flooded by helicopters and SWAT cars moving in on the defeated grunts. Relief soon set in when he recognised their uniforms as those worn by the Unovan Civil Defence Force.

Against a tree, he finally took his moment of respite, retrieving all his pokémon so he wouldn’t be seen as hostile by the approaching officers.

What he didn’t expect to see, however, was a young man not much older than him who was dressed as a tax collector. Furthermore, this man led the officers and deployed them like a natural-born commander. In a guarded posture beside him, a mighty stoutland let out a feral growl.

“Wha…?”

“You there!” bellowed the strange man, staring straight at Benga. “I’ve taken command of this area as Aspertia City's Gym Leader! Identify yourself, or you  _ will _ be considered hostile!”

“Wh-Whoa— you’re Cheren, ain’tcha?” Benga was beaming as the realisation hit him. “I’m Benga! You’re the guy always on the phone with my Gramps!”

“Your… Gramps?”

“Yeah! I’m Alder’s grandson, Benga! You’d better remember the name!”

Cheren’s eyes narrowed. The resemblance was definitely there, especially in that goofy yet contagious smile. He motioned for the two officers to help with the arrest initiative.

“Alright then. Verify your ID, then we can start talking. I’ll need a statement about what the hell is happening here.”

“Sure thing—”

Cheren’s XTransceiver suddenly went off on the default ringtone, causing Benga to chortle a bit. The Gym Leader was quick to answer.

“Cheren speaking”

…

“Yes, Roxie, I  _ did  _ call you five times. The League notified me that you were unresponsive, and a state of emergency was declared an hour back. I’m currently filling in for your absence at Floccesy Ranch.”

… … …

“What? A concert? You can’t be serious; the league contacts us on our official channels! Social events as per regulation are  _ not _ justifiable ex—”

… …

“You  _ muted _ it? How irresponsible can you— agh… Whatever. Get down here ASAP; the situation looks bad. I’ll hear your explanation in person… trust me, you’ve got a  _ lot _ to explain.”

With that, he hung up the call. The following glare at Benga threatened the boy not to ask about the awkward call he had been privy to.

* * *

Zinzolin’s expression did not shift over the loss, but any fool could tell the absolute fury he felt from the sudden turning tides. A grave expression severed his lips from his ears. “What the hell is going on…?”

“It’s like I said,” Alder reiterated. “These are the winds your insane machinations seek to staunch. Now, they’ve blown you off your feet.”

Helios had initiated its next move already. Scales shed off its body, casting hot snow upon the land. The ice was all but melted by the blazing sunlight, but this downpour across the Ranch warmed it to springtime.

The Winter was dead.

A crimson aura twisted around Helios as every fibre of its being had begun quivering. Its skyward ascension resembled an ancient form of dance, flowing like a river to allow a hover above the Ranch, Frigate and all.

Reinvigorated, the atlas moth cast its energy field once more, taking the shape of a miniature star.

“I’m afraid you’ll be coming with us, Plasma. Helios, bring that ship  _ down _ — Fiery Dance!”

* * *

Zinzolin glared at Helios but did not move from his spot. His weavile leapt forward from behind its master before blasting frigid winds from both its claws. Temporary cold allowed two other pokémon to manifest. Phantom-like snowflakes with wintry chain-links and glowing blue eyes hissed a frosty fog from the orifices on their beings.

“Cryogonal, Aurora Veil!”

Even against the harsh sunlight, both cryogonal worked together to summon forth the precipitated ice required to cast this impenetrable barrier. The Sun Pokémon slammed its full weight in an explosive clash against the mirror-like obstruction. Flames spiralled out of control, carving into the dampened soils their superheated tracks, for even this level of chemical fusion was powerless against the Aurora Veil which spread quickly over the entire Frigate as a decahedral sheet.

The hailstorm dissipated but the barrier shot Helios right back at the ground. Riding drafts from its own fire, it rebalanced itself before repositioning beside its trainer. The pair glared upwards at the ascending ship.

* * *

The Shadow Triad warped around Zinzolin, multiplying the extreme murderous pressure upon the outer panel. If looks were spears, three would be driven through the sage.

“Zinzolin… What is the meaning of this?” asked the first shadow. “You’ve delayed us long enough.”

The second looked ready to pounce. “Explain yourself!”

“Explanations will not be necessary,” followed the third, breathing down Zinzolin’s neck with a knife to his throat. “You  _ will _ take off this instant… or face the Devil alone.”

Zinzolin looked utterly unfazed by the metal he felt at his collar. And this was a genuine cold; one could practically smell the blood on the Triad’s blades. “You accursed  _ circus clowns _ … takeoff has already been initiated.”

Within his raised hand, the Shadow saw the Frigate’s Master Control. A thumb pressed down on the biggest button.

Soon enough, a massive jetstream whooshed off the Frigate’s base. The flight module roared to life as the upward ascension of the ship grew unstoppable. Sails were set, and panels began shifting to accommodate aerodynamic mobility.

Zinzolin’s tone was deathly low when he addressed the Triad. “See, now you’re just  _ begging _ me to  _ sculpt you into Ninja themed art _ .”

Cryogonal under the heat had all but evaporated without Weavile’s cold blast. Though a Shadow held a knife at Zinzolin’s throat, all three of them knew that they were already enwrapped in chain links of ice.

His lips crooked in a lopsided grin, Zinzolin clutched the Shadow’s wrist before slowly, tauntingly lowering the knife arm.

“Don’t  _ you _ three forget… that you’re on  _ my _ ship,” he said. “ _ I’m _ the captain here, gentlemen.”

The Shadows’ eyes narrowed, but they dropped their hostilities for now, much to Weavile’s dismay. It had now been deprived of firing the twelve icicles floating behind it.

“… This matter will be duly reported to Lord Ghetsis,” said the third Shadow. “Expect due consequences for your failures.”

“Right, of course… I’m absolutely  _ shaking _ ,” scoffed Zinzolin, but the three were already gone with the wind. “Damn ninjas…”

He then looked over the edge, the Ranch now far below them.

“It’s a shame we were interrupted this time around, Alder… rest assured, I fully intend to finish this.”

Cloaking technology of the highest calibre had already been initiated. The colossal metal ship floating in the air had all but disappeared in a flash, nullifying heat signatures, wind interference and every other tracking method technology offered.

* * *

“HEY GRAMPS! YA DIDN’T TELL ME NOTHIN’ ABOUT THIS PARTY!”

Alder turned, only to be smothered by Benga’s embrace. He caught the charging boy in laughter before picking him up easily into the air.

“Whoa ho ho! Benga m’boy! I didn’t know you were still here!” his jolly laughter put all those who were there at ease. Ruffling the boy’s hair, the weary Champion let him down. “You look like you’ve grown tonnes stronger there!”

“You bet I did! There were all these baddies, but my partners and I  _ destroyed  _ ’em! You should have seen it!”

“You should’ve recorded it! Isn’t that a thing kids are doing these days? Some kind of tube on the phone?”

The two hit off on jolly laughter once more as the SWAT stormed the main site of the prior battle, finally able to approach past the hurricane case by the Frigate.

“Alder!” came Cheren’s voice as he emerged from the officers, looking more stressed than ever before. “What’re you doing out here? Why are you in the thick of this?”

“Cheren! Long time no see!” laughed Alder. “Benga, why don’t you go check on the kids at the shed? I’ll need to talk to this young man in private.”

Benga beamed in agreement, not wishing to anger Cheren any more. “Sure thing, Gramps!”

Once the boy was gone, Alder turned with a warm smile to address the young Gym Leader. “Well then, wanna get a cup somewhere? It’s been too long!”

“Sorry, but there isn’t any time for pleasantries. You being here changes every aspect of this case,” he rubbed his temples. “Listen, sorry for troubling you in retirement, but I’ll need a proper statement for the League Report. Don’t leave anything out.”

Alder’s expression fell comically. “Can I take back what I said about you changing?”

“Not on record.”

The old man let out a sigh. “Can’t even joke these days… You’re more by the book than ol’ Drayden! Speaking of, I should pay him a visit!”

“Alder, please focus.”

“Yes, yes,” he rolled his eyes. “Now then… let’s talk.”

* * *

Though the distant Sunrise wove into existence a new day, the victory was pyrrhic. Many things were lost, and very little was gained. To call it a victory at all was just self-satisfaction.

Rosa, Nate and Hugh were admitted to the Floccesy General Hospital, where Hugh was admitted into emergency care while the other two would have their wounds treated over the course of the week before the funeral of the Ranch Owner. His body had been found in a compost pit by the northern edge. Erin mourned deeply for her surrogate father, as did Alder, who had been a friend to the man.

By Sunset, the Ranch was closed down, barricaded by Police tape to officially cordon the area off as a crime scene. Cargo planes from Mistralton were redirected to land at the Castelia Airport by Air Traffic Control, and media copters soon replaced them, swarming the skies with cameras rolling on live TV.

Though Cheren and Alder managed to divert media attention from the children, censoring the incident was far from realistic now. Team Plasma’s uniform change was ironically what prevented mass panic over their return, for a few government calls were able to label this a simple ‘Terrorist Attack’. Tinfoil hats were restricted to the internet — the perfect breeding grounds for conspiracy.

One reality remained to loom above all this, however. This incident was one of many that would shake Unova to its very core.

* * *

Bianca walked through the sliding Hospital door to be greeted by a pleasantly surprising sight. Nate and Rosa, now in hospital gowns, laughed up a storm during cheerful exchanges with Erin. The three turned unanimously to greet the blonde.

Nate was first to speak up. “Now there’s a face I haven’t seen in a while.”

“Bianca!” beamed Rosa. “It’s so good to see you!”

Bianca’s chipper grin only grew wider as she placed a gift basket with flowers on the desk by Nate’s bed. “I’m so glad to see you kids are safe! Cheren called and told me the bare bones, so I came as fast as I could!”

“U-Um, hello…” squeaked Erin, evidently lacking context. “I-I’m Erin. Nice to meet you, miss.”

Bianca blinked curiously before beaming at her fellow blonde. “Hi, there! I’m Bianca — Professor Juniper’s right-hand gal! I used to be Rosa’s neighbour!”

Nate cringed a bit as Bianca patted Erin hard on the back. The poor farm girl was sent into a coughing fit, leaving the lab aide in frantic wonder over her own strength. Still, a sense of relief washed over him.

It hadn’t even been a full day since he had nearly lost himself to the negative aura. Simply thinking back on the horribly dark place he had been in sent shudders through him. His mind would be lost now if it wasn’t for Rosa. Of course, looking at her only reminded him that he owed her a conversation he had skirted thus far.

He’d need to divulge some level of detail, potentially compromising efficiency by creating opinions…

“What, have I got something on my face?” asked Rosa with a tilted head.

“No, nothing.” Nate’s reply was curt as he averted his gaze and looked to Erin and Bianca. “Well, all the bad stuff’s over. The Doc’ll give you the medical update. Dunno how we’ll handle the bills, though…”

“Don’t worry about that!” Rosa chimed. “I took care of it!”

The other three looked at her positively dumbfounded. “You what?”

“I took care of it,” she said again. “Talked to the doctors and paid everything off in advance for all three of us!”

Nate’s eye twitched. “How in the world did you find all that money?”

“What?” her face scrunched. “I’ve been kicking ass around this region for two years, remember? I’ve got more money than I know what to do with!”

“So you just blew it on  _ all _ our bills?”

“Duh! Isn’t that what friends do?”

If his body had permitted it, Nate would have backed up several steps. Aside from him being in her debt, now, the casual fashion in which she had revealed this act confounded every logical part of his brain to a crashing point.

“Don’t worry,” she added. “You don’t owe me a cent. I’ve got plenty more where that came from! Percival and I hardly ever lost, after all.”

The situation elicited excited giggles from Bianca. “You two became really good friends since the last time I saw you! That’s wonderful!”

“You think so?” beamed Rosa.

Nate could only look away. “Tch…”

“Hey, she complimented us!” Rosa frowned at him. “At least pretend to be happy!”

“Now, now, that’s okay,” chuckled Bianca. “Nate’s got his way with things.

“Speaking of friendships, though, I checked the pokédex logs on the way here. Rosa, you met a vulpix? It’s got its Hidden Ability too! You’ve  _ got _ to tell me more!”

“O-Oh, right,” Rosa said sheepishly. “Turns out the ‘Light Stone’ we went after was actually a pokémon egg…”

Erin took over with the explanation. “It was a donation to the Ranch by a really strong trainer from Kanto. Supposedly a direct offspring of her Ninetales.

“Its ability was meant to be used for the crops, but…” she clenched her fist sorrowfully. “Those terrorists ended up killing Mr Owens for it.”

The room’s atmosphere grew thick, but before Erin could start shedding tears, the pokéball at Rosa’s bedside rattled a few times and unleashed the vulpix in question. It materialised in a red flash by Erin’s legs. Three of them watched curiously as the baby pokémon took tiny steps towards the blonde before stroking its head soothingly against her shin.

“Aww…” cooed Bianca. “It’s adorable!”

“Isn’t it?” agreed Rosa. “What do you think, Nate?”

Nate raised a brow. “Yeah, sure, whatever.”

“Oh come on! Put some oomph into it!”

At this, his eye twitched again. “Well exc~use me for not being a girly girl about this!”

“What?” Rosa sounded outraged. “I’m  _ not _ girly! Stop calling me girly!”

Nate looked away once more with crossed arms. “I only call things as I see them.”

“You’re being such a giant asshole right now!”

“Well  _ you’re _ an annoying, girly girl,  _ always _ , and you don’t see me complaining about it!”

“You  _ just _ complained about it!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

While Bianca and Erin continued cringing at their escalating squabble, the vulpix took action by leaping to Rosa’s side and hissing threateningly at Nate. He backed off immediately, startled, while Rosa could only gawk in surprise.

After dismissively shooing Nate away with its tails, it cuddled up to a flabbergasted Rosa.

“Tch… whatever,” Nate grumpily dusted himself off, while Bianca could only beam at the sight.

“Wow, Rosa, it seems vulpix is super- _ duper _ attached to you! Who’d have thought?”

“I-I don’t know why,” sighed Rosa. “I’m not its trainer…”

After much contemplation, Erin put her foot down. “Maybe you should be.”

“Wh-What?”

“Please, keep vulpix as your own pokémon,” she said almost pleadingly. “Mr Owens was going to be its trainer, but with him gone… I… you…” though choked, she put words forth. “He was an amazingly kind person and a lover of pokémon. He looked for nothing but their happiness, and always saw to their wellbeing, right down to grooming and food.

“He’d… he’d want vulpix to be the happiest it can be. If that’s with you, then… I’ll allow it on his behalf.”

“B-but what about the Ranch? Your crops—”

“They grew fine before vulpix, and I’ll see to it that they continue to do so,” Erin was insistent. “Besides, this vulpix is nobody’s pokémon right now. Please, for Mr Owen’s sake… please take care of him.”

Before both Erin’s and the vulpix’s expectant gaze, Rosa couldn’t do much other than accept defeat on the matter.

“F-fine…” she picked the Fox Pokémon up with both hands before holding it high. “If you’re really okay with me being your trainer, then…

“Welcome to the team!” Rosa smiled into its eyes, and the vulpix purred in satisfaction as her pokédex fully registered it as her own pokémon. “I guess you’ll need a name, now, though… hmm… I know!

“How about…  **Gawain** ?”

Gawain did not hesitate to show how much it loved its new name.

* * *

Sunset brought forth another set of cold winds over the Hospital rooftop, and Cheren cast a grave expression upon the amber skies. Though he heard the terrace doors open, he did not turn.

“Good evening, Alder.”

“Tally ho!” Alder chimed as the door shut. “What’re you doing out in this cold, lad?”

Cheren let out a sigh. “I just finished getting my summit request approved by the higher authorities. The Gym Leaders will be meeting soon to discuss Team Plasma and positional responsibility in full detail.”

Alder’s expression was filled with pity. “You’ve been at work an awfully long time… you know the kids have woken up, right? At least pay them a vis—”

“There’s no time,” Cheren responded curtly. “Unlike you and that…  _ fool _ Roxie,  _ I _ take my job seriously!”

Dead silence spread through the terrace as Cheren realised on his own how out of line he was. Bitterly, he averted his gaze from the old man who had already forgiven him.

“I’m sorry… that was uncalled for.”

“Sure was,” Alder sighed. “More than that, are you certain you’re in the right frame of mind for this?”

“I’m just stressed. It’s part of the job.”

“Of course…” he nodded. “But… I don’t want you to lose yourself to this job; that’s not why I put forth my endorsement. Are you sure you shouldn’t talk things out personally with Roxie?”

Cheren squinted at this. “There’s nothing to talk about. She made her apathy on this matter abundantly clear by not even showing up; all the talking will happen now at the summit.”

“Cheren, m’boy…”

“With all due respect, Alder, I know what I’m doing,” he said. “Team Plasma is a legitimate threat, and all the Gym Leaders were furnished with the facts earlier today. Burgh, Skyla and I are in consensus here — her continued unresponsiveness even to the summit call makes her ineptitude stick out like a sore thumb.”

“Perhaps she had her own—”

“Rosa. Almost. Died,” growled Cheren. “ _ You. _ Were at.  _ Risk _ !” his rage was palpable. “Worst of all… a man was  _ killed _ .”

Again, the winds met silence at moonrise.

“If she didn’t have her priorities this twisted,  _ something _ could have been done in prevention!”

Alder saw little else he could say on the matter. “If that’s what you think, I can only wish you the best of luck.

“Now… why don’t you freshen up and come visit the kids with me? I’m sure they’re eager to see you.”

The stress on Cheren’s face slowly faded into repression, exposing the fatigue of a multifaceted war he currently fought alone. Alder’s offer was, in fact, respite he needed desperately.

“… Alright, I’ll go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! The Floccesy Ranch Arc has come to a close! It’s been a wild journey, and this arc really stands as a testament to the quality spike — I have nobody to thank but all of you for your critical and thoughtful reviews!
> 
> To commemorate this, here’s something we haven’t seen in a while: T E A M U P D A T E !
> 
> Nate: Ray (Lucario) / Sabbath (Tepig)
> 
> Hugh: Braviary / Oshawott
> 
> Rosa: Percival (Serperior) / Gawain (Vulpix)
> 
> Man, that felt good! As does finally finishing up this arc.
> 
> So now, important stuff about life incoming-
> 
> I’m currently in a preparatory phase for some exams which are gonna eat my time away. This is gonna be many times worse than what BotW did to me, as the grind is General Knowledge and Current Affairs based. What does this mean for the story, you may ask?
> 
> The show will go on.
> 
> That’s right, one exam ain’t killing this narrative. I wouldn’t do that to you guys, and especially not to myself. This project is one born of passion and is partly a test of my own perseverance and stamina as an author. The idea of such a project was born from many people in my life seeing me as superfluous and unable to commit, and I’m out to prove these fuckers wrong lmao.
> 
> All this aside, however, lifestyle has shifted dramatically. India is a whole other kind of beast in terms of its pace. My life is at least twenty times more eventful than it was in Singapore, and those of you who follow me on Twitter would know about both the absolutely obnoxious traffic based delays, my family’s overall tactless nature when approaching a structured day, and the packed nature of my own schedule (I’ve posted Google Calendar snaps there showing how booked I am). The old weekly updates are gonna be impossible without a huge hit to the quality, which I will not stand for.
> 
> Again, I will still be reasonably contactable on discord, twitter, and if you’re really desperate, my email address xD contactability is in that specific order, so for faster responses, just shoot me a discord DM.
> 
> With the update over, I’m also announcing my seasonal break. The occasional extra chapter will be released (writing is still a powerful outlet for my thoughts), but heavy plot stuff will take some time. I thank each and every one of you for your continued support, which has been hugely motivating. Your constant critique of my work, however minor, is still helpful in improving its quality. I’ve noticed tremendous growth since my hype fueled one shot, and I got nobody to thank but all of you.
> 
> Side note, the Q & A is still open, so don’t worry about going ham! I will say, though, that I got way more questions than I initially anticipated (guess I’m doing something right), so I’m sorry if I can’t answer each and every one.
> 
> See you guys around the block!  
~ Ace ♤

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, chapter 1's a wrap. Let's hope it appeals to the audience here- Any and all feedback is welcome as always. Do also voice any requests you may have, since I can see to incorporating smaller stuff.
> 
> Have a great rest of the day!  
~ Ace ♤


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